Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Sonic Style
by CrankshaftRabbit
Summary: As the crusades against Robotropolis rage on, Sonic returns to stop a corrupt Sheriff from taking over the Kingdom of Mercia and to save his one love. But it will it be worth dying for? SonAmy. Rated M for material.
1. Mobian Courage

**AN: Hey thar! Here's the next Sonic fic I'm doin! This of course is based from the movie, 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' Future chaps will be longer.  
>Sonic and Co. beling to SEGA! Robin Hood: Rince of Thieves belongs to Warner Bros. Here's the Cast!<strong>

**Robin of Locksley-Sonic the Hedgehog  
>Azeem-Shadow the Hedgehog<br>Maid Marion of Dubios-Amy Rose  
>Will Scarlett-Manic the Hedgehog(From Sonic Underground)<br>George, the Sheriff of Nottingham-Scourge the Hedgehog  
>Mortianna-Herself(as an ablino echinda, similiar to Dr. Finitevus)<br>Friar Tuck-Rotor Walrus  
>Lord Locksley-Jules Hedgehog<br>Sir Guy of Gisborne-Jeffery St. Croix(Evil or Anti )  
>Little John-Knuckles the Echidna<br>Bishop of Herford-Himself(Possibly an Owl)  
>Duncan-Himself(An elder Hedgehog)<br>King Richard-Rob'O the Hedge(Yes, of course )  
>Fanny, Little John's Wife-Julie Su<br>Wulf-Tails Prower(In the movie, Wulf is Little John's biological son with Fanny, but in this fic he'll be John's adoptive son)  
>Bull-Mighty the Armadillo<br>Peter Dubois, Marion's Brother-OC Hedgehog  
>Much-Vector the Crocodile<br>Sarah, Marion's Lady in Waiting-OC**

**Also, this movie takes place during the crusades when the English tried to take the Holy Land, so to emphisize the relgious stuff, I'm gonna make it so that the Mobians are divided by worshiping God and the Chaos Force. The Celts in the movie are portrayed as barbarians so the Overlanders from the Archie Comic will play them. This will take place mostly in Mercia and a bit of Robotropolis. So Enjoy! No Flaming Please! :)**

* * *

><p>=Chapter 1: Mobian Courage=<p>

The world of Mobius was thrown into turmoil. It had been 800 years since the powerful Xorda had attacked and the planet was just barely getting back on its feet. Nobody knew what deity to turn to for comfort. A group of mobians had discovered the Chaos Force but it caused them to be estranged by another group of mobians who still followed the ways of Roman Catholicism. Wars ensued.

Then, King Rob'O the Hedge of Mercia, led on a crusade against the mobians who followed the Chaos Force. Of many who valiantly joined him, few ever returned alive from the battlefield. As the King was absent from his domain, many public officials and aristocrats had turned corrupt.

In the grueling prisons of Robotropolis were many who fought with King Rob'O. The residents of the city were mobians who were transformed either partly or wholly into robots by an insane human doctor in order to make them stronger against the crusaders. The prisoners endured senseless torture and few ended up maimed.

Among the prisoners were two crusaders. A cyan hedgehog and a red-orangish hedgehog. The cyan was Sonic of the house of Locksley and his companion was Peter of the house of Dubois. They were both taken prisoner by the robians on charges of theft of rations and as prisoners of war. Sonic had noticed another hedgehog who was also a prisoner but he seemed rather strange. He had ebony fur and crimson stripes. Peter had easily recognized him as a Black Arms. They also worshiped the Chaos Force but were seen by all mobians as demons. A jailor walked around ruthlessly interrogating them.

"He says you stole the rations." he implied at Peter.

The poor reddish hedgehog was already weak from years of being in that prison. He was starting to become delirious.

"It's a lie!" Peter cried. "I caught him stealing ours!"

The interrogator scoffed sarcastically.

"Give the infidel 20 volts." he told another guard with an electric jabber.

"No, I took the rations!" Sonic interjected, hoping to spare his companion and catching the guard's attention.

Peter began to panic.

"That's not true." he protested.

"They're not interested in the truth." Sonic murmured back.

"But he's lying!"

"You're too weak, Peter. You might not live through it."

"As you wish." the interrogator said. "Give the other one 20 volts as well."

The other jailors began unchaining Sonic and Peter and were dragged towards the torture chambers.

"I'm sorry, Sonic." Peter rambled in his delirious state. "I'm sorry."

As the guards reached for the red-furred hedgehog, Sonic fiercely pushed them away, defending his companion. The other guards were prompted to stop him but instead, he bravely walked towards the robian with the electric jabber despite Peter's protests. The robian eyed Sonic curiously at his selflessness.

"This is mobian courage..." the cyan hedgehog murmured under his breath.

The robian smiled sadistically and was about ready to fill Sonic's body with 20 volts of electricity for a long period of time. Before the jabbing poll could touch him however, Sonic, in a quick motion, grabbed another guard and used him as a living shield. As the unfortunate robian's central system got overloaded with electricity, the blue blur proceeded into hand-to-hand combat with the other guards. Peter quickly joined into the fray, knocking another guard into a vat of steaming acid.

"That's for five years of hell!" he shouted.

The pair continued to fight. Sonic grabbed a large curved sword and used it in combat. The ebony hedgehog who still had his hands tied up against the wall, became enthusiastic and saw this as a chance to escape himself. He saw another guard charging towards Sonic.

"BEHIND YOU!" the hedgehog shouted.

Sonic spun around and struck down the charging robian. After making eye contact with the tied up hedgehog, he started to walk towards him but was stopped by an excited Peter.

"Come on, Sonic for God's sake!" he cried, pulling the cyan male towards an escape route. "Come on!"

"Wait! Take us with you!" cried another prisoner.

The pair rushed to attempt to free the other prisoners before more guards came, with no success. The midnight hedgehog in the corner jumped up quickly as Sonic tried to break a chain with the curved sword he acquired.

"You cannot save those people, Christian!" the hedgehog called out. "But you can save me!"

He showed Sonic how that he was tied with rope rather than chained. Peter came scrambling back to Sonic's side.

"They're coming, Sonic!" he cried. "Come on!"

Sonic was getting quite frustrated between trying to free the other prisoner and Peter's pleas. Even more so when the crimson-splashed hedgehog called out for him again.

"CHRISTIAN!"

Sonic stormed over to him.

"Why should I?" he exclaimed.

"For pity's sake." the ebony hedgehog explained. "Mine is a sentence of death."

"No Sonic! He's a Black Arms, don't listen to him!" Peter protested.

"Set me free. I will show you away out!"

"Why should we?"

"If you do not, we are all dead man!"

"No Sonic, for God's sake. They're coming!"

More guards were storming into the area. Despite Peter's protests, Sonic swiped the rope that held the ebony hedgehog with the huge sword. Then he rushed towards the other prisoner he was trying to free.

"I'm sorry." he told him.

"Hurry." the midnight hedgehog urged, pulling Sonic along. "Come, Christian. Come!"

He, Sonic, and Peter abandoned the others and fled through a narrow passage. The passage then led into a sewer where they made their escape.


	2. Way Lies Together

=Chapter 2: Way Lies Together=

The trio exited the sewers through a man hole. The first one to pop out, was the ebony hedgehog. He helped Sonic and Peter out of the hole.

"Thanks." Peter told him. "I misjudged you."

Sonic was the last to exit the hole.

"You are fast with a sword, my friend." the midnight male complemented as he helped the blue blur out.

"Five years, I've waited for the smell of free air." Sonic replied. "It makes a person fast."

Unbeknownst to them, a guard from a perch had spotted them and shot an arrow at them. The arrow hit Peter right in and through the back.

"Peter!" Sonic cried.

As both he and his new companion rushed to the red hedgehog's aide, the guard from above quickly alerted the reinforcements. Sonic took Peter off to the side to examine him.

"It's mortal, leave me.." Peter rasped.

The crimson-splashed hedgehog cautiously looked about for the impending brigade as a dying Peter quickly thrusted a gold ring encrusted with rubies in the shape of a cross into Sonic's hand.

"Give this ring to my sister, Amy." the wounded hedgehog continued. "And swear you'll protect her for me."

"His wound is by the heart." the ebony hedgehog told Sonic, after looking at Peter. "You cannot save him."

"Swear it, Sonic!"

Sonic looked down on his fatally wounded companion full of guilt that he hadn't watched him more closely and carefully. But he took Peter's request to heart and with bold determination.

"I swear it." the cyan hedgehog vowed.

"They're coming." the midnight hedgehog quickly warned.

Peter struggled to his feet and grabbed the curved sword out of Sonic's hand.

"Tell Amy, I died a free mobian." he said.

With that, Peter rushed off towards the guards.

"FOR MERCIA!"

"NO! PETER!" Sonic cried, trying to stop him.

But it was no use. His new companion dragged him away to a safer spot.

"Come, my friend." he told the blue blur. "Make his sacrifice an act of honor. Come now."

Just as more guards were arriving, the two fled into an alley. They hid in a small corner as a guard on horseback attempted to track them down. Sonic, overwhelmed by all that had happened, lowered his head and silently prayed. His new companion all the while, had discovered a basket of citrus fruit beside them. After taking one and splitting it in two, he nudged Sonic and offered him a half. The cyan hedgehog took it eagerly and wolfed down on the fruit.

"Why did you save me, Christian?" the dark hedgehog asked.

"Whatever blood is in your veins," Sonic rasped in between eating. "no one deserves to die in there."

Suddenly another guard came by in his horse, causing the two males to freeze. They relaxed a little when he was gone. Sonic then got up to leave.

"Farewell, my friend." he told the crimson-splashed hedgehog. "God speed your way."

"Our way lies together with the speed of the Chaos Force." the ebony male told him.

"What?"

"You saved my life, Christian. I will stay with you until I have saved yours, that is my vow."

Sonic shook his head as he quickly gathered more fruits in his arms.

"Thanks, but I go to Mercia." he said. "I relieve you of your obligation."

"Only the Chaos Force can do that!" the midnight hedgehog said.

"What if I say no?"

"You have no choice."

The two raced a little farther into the alley and stopped to make sure the cost was clear.

"I am Shadow the Hedgehog of the House of Doom." the ebony male said. "You may call me Shadow."

He extended his hand out to Sonic in friendship. The cyan hedgehog quickly took it.

"Sonic of Locksley." he rasped.

With that, the pair quietly raced through the night.


	3. Locksley Castle

=Chapter 3: Locksley Castle=

Meanwhile, in the far lands of Mercia, the lunar star hung high above a large and great manor-like castle. It was the house of Sonic's family. Everything was quaint and quiet as Lord Jules of Locksley sat in his study, writing a letter.

_"Kindest sir,"_ he began. _"'Tis rumored that you fought in King Rob'O's crusade with my beloved son, Sonic. I fear you have returned home to desperate times when dark forces plot against our absent king. I am anxious for word of my son. Were you present at his capture near Robotropolis? Do you know the name of the potentate who holds him? Does he still bear me ill will? A little news, please sir. I would give all that I own for his release."_

With a huge sigh, Lord Jules signed the letter. He then took an affectionate glance at a portrait of Sonic. Suddenly, there was shouting in the hall outside, catching the lord's attention. Bursting in, was a desperate and wounded peasant with Jules' servant, Duncan, trying to stop him.

"Get out of my way!" the peasant had cried.

"Stop there!" Duncan shouted.

"Help me, my lord!"

Duncan grabbed the bumbling peasant in a flurry of footsteps.

"You should have waited!" Duncan scolded. He then turned to Lord Jules. "I'm sorry you were disturbed, master."

"Duncan, it's all right." Lord Jules replied. "Let him go."

The other hedgehog let the peasant loose and he shakenly stepped forward.

"They've taken Gwen, my daughter!" the peasant cried.

"Who's taken her?" Lord Jules asked.

"Men on horses. In masks!"

Both Lord Jules and Duncan gave grave expressions.

"W-we tried to stop 'em but..." the peasant continued. "...my son. He's dead. He's dead!"

Lord Jules narrowed his eyes and got up from his desk. He took the family sword from above the fire place and got suited in armor. Duncan approached him as he got on his horse.

"Master, stay." he pleaded. "There is an evil moon tonight."

"Never fear, Duncan." Lord Jules said with determination. "Good will overcome. Trust in that."

The lord then fastened his sword to his belt and took his shield. As he exited the castle, he suddenly found himself surrounded by other mobians. They were all hooded and masked like the peasant had described. Each was holding a torch. Lord Jules stared at them with shock and disbelief.

"I'm sorry, my lord..." the peasant whimpered. "I had no choice..."

Ignoring him, Lord Jules approached them boldly. The leader, who was the only one on horseback, slowly took off his mask. Lord Jules stared at him with even more shock. It revealed to be a lime green hedgehog with piercing eyes.

_"You!"_ Lord Jules hissed.

It was Scourge, the Sheriff of Mercia and Snottingham. He raised an eyebrow at the lord's accusing tone.

"Locksley." Scourge greeted.

"The king shall hear of this!" Lord Jules shouted.

Scourge merely smiled at his threat.

"Join us." he told him.

"Never!" Lord Jules spat.

Scourge gave an agitated look and as if he just popped a vein.

"Join us. Or die." he threatened.

In response, Lord Jules valiantly raised his sword.

"God and King Rob'O!" he declared.

He charged towards the hooded mob as they swarmed around him. Scourge watched it all play out with a devious and evil smirk.


	4. Talk of Women

=Chapter 4: Talk of Women=

Four months later, Sonic and Shadow managed to escape the confines of Robotropolis itself and head overseas to Mercia by boat. A row boat from the ship that brought them there, took Sonic and Shadow to Mercia's shores. Both Sonic and Shadow had cleaned themselves up and were less filthy looking. Shadow was clad in aristocratic robes and carried around a curved sword similar to the one that Sonic had back in the prisons. Sonic was clad in dark greenish robes that looked plain in comparison to Shadow's. The blue blur was so happy to finally be back in the land of his birth, that he jumped out of the row boat and plopped down onto the beach.

"Oh thank you, Lord." he rasped as he dug up mud. "Thank you..."

After this, he let a heartfelt laugh and started making 'mud angels' on the shore line.

"I'm home!" Sonic cried with laughter. "I'M HOOOOOOME!"

Shadow, who was just getting off the row boat himself, raised an eyebrow at Sonic's curious actions.

"You are strange, Christian." Shadow remarked as he approached the cyan hedgehog.

"Yes, but I am free." Sonic replied with glee. "Now I beg you to free yourself of your vow. Return to the boat. I know how it feels to be so far from your home and family."

Shadow stared at him with a deadpan expression.

"Because I love them so much," he added. "I cannot dishonor them."

Then, Sonic made eye contact with the other sailors tending to the row boat. One of them nodded back at him.

"I thought you would say that." Sonic told the ebony hedgehog.

Suddenly, a sailor ran up behind Shadow and attempted to attack him. The crimson-splashed male easily kicked him and flipped him over, causing him to fall into the muddy ground beneath them. The other sailors tried to attack Shadow as well, but after seeing him counter-attack and make a threatening stance towards them, they rescinded and meekly took away their fallen comrade. Then Shadow returned to his cerulean companion who was still lying on the ground and now partially wet.

"No one controls my destiny." the midnight hedgehog told Sonic. "Especially not one who attacks downwind and stinks of garlic."

Sonic grinned at this admirable trait in Shadow and lifted his hand to his companion who grinned back.

"Come, Shadow." he said.

The ebony hedgehog took his hand and helped him back up on his feet.

"Our fighting days are done." Sonic continued. "By nightfall, we'll celebrate with my father."

With that, Sonic gathered his belongings and the pair began the journey to Locksley Castle.

"You understand of course," Sonic added. "I had to try."

"I would have succeeded." Shadow said.

XXXXXX

Hours later, they finally arrived on the land that was owned by Sonic's father. Sonic was laughing and joking around with Shadow.

"Why must you walk in back of me?" the cerulean hedgehog asked.

"In your country, am I not the infidel?" Shadow asked in reply.

Sonic gave out a laugh.

"It seems safer to appear as your slave rather than your equal." Shadow continued.

They approached a very high hill that was partially bordered with the remains of a stony wall. On their left was a mistletoe tree.

"You know for an infidel," Sonic said. "you have an uncommon clarity of thinking. But you tell me nothing of yourself. For instance, your name 'Shadow', what does it mean?"

"It means 'Great One'." Shadow replied.

Sonic made a smirk.

"'Great One', really?" he asked. "Did you give yourself this name?"

Shadow gave him a rather annoyed look to which Sonic heartily laughed off.

"It's-It's a joke." he chuckled. "SHADOW THE GREAT ONE, I AM HOME! WHOOOO! WHOOOOOO!"

The blue blur twirled around merrily as Shadow continued to scale the hill in silence. Sonic then plucked a twig from the tree next to him.

"Look," he called out. "mistletoe! Many a maid's lost her resolve to me thanks to this little plant."

Shadow paused from walking up the hill.

"In my country, we talk to our women." he explained. "We do not drug them with plants."

Sonic made a face.

"What do you know of women?" he asked pointedly.

"Where I come from, Christian," Shadow continued. "there are women of such beauty, that they can possess a man's mind so that he would be willing to die for them."

Sonic stared at him for a while until he realized something.

"Wait. Is that why you were there to be executed?" he asked. "Because of a woman?"

The midnight male gave an implying glance at his companion as he continued to climb the hill. Sonic let out another laugh.

"That's it isn't?" he giggled. "That's it!"

He quickly ran up the hill, catching up with Shadow. They continued to walk on as the daylight started to fade.

"It is close to sunset." Shadow observed as he hopped off the crumbling wall.

Sonic on the other hand, was not ready to drop the subject on the crimson-splashed hedgehog's mystery woman.

"You painted old 'hog, who was she?" he jeered as he jumped off the wall following Shadow. "The Grand Master's daughter? Huh? Another man's wife?"

That last question made Shadow give Sonic a little bit of a dirty look, but the blue blur wouldn't leave well enough alone.

"What's her name?" he asked again.

Shadow looked around, getting a little frustrated in between Sonic's rude line of questioning and looking for the sun.

"Is there no sun in this cursed country?" he ranted. Then, putting down his things, he turned to Sonic. "Which way is east?"

The cyan hedgehog wasn't going to let him drop the subject.

"Her name?" he asked once more.

"EAST!" Shadow demanded.

Sonic folded his arms.

"Her name?" he asked, this time in a more direct tone.

Shadow heaved out a heavy sigh and looked around for the sun. Finally, he acquiesced to Sonic's request.

"Maria." Shadow responded.

Sonic then happily pointed towards east. Shadow then got onto the grassy floor facing east and began to meditate. Sonic waltzed over to him with even more curiosity.

"Was she worth it?" he inquired.

Shadow's face softened.

"Worth dying for." he murmured.


	5. Sir Jeffery St Croix of Gisborne

=Chapter 5: Sir Jeffery St. Croix of Gisborne=

Sonic suddenly heard commotion and turned around as Shadow continued to meditate. In the grassy valley below, there was a cavalcade of soldiers being led by a mobian skunk on horseback. They were chasing a young fox with twin tails. The kit was running as fast as his legs could carry him. Sonic did not like the looks of this.

The saffron fox finally climbed over the wall that Sonic and Shadow were walking on earlier. Then he hastily climbed the mistletoe tree with the men following closely behind. When they managed to catch up, they surrounded the tree and began laughing and jeering at the poor frightened kitsune trying to get away. They were all unaware that they were being closely watched by Sonic, who quickly climbed down the hill to investigate. The saffron fox continued to climb higher and higher as the men below shouted at him.

"YOU'RE DOG'S MEAT SON, YOU KNOW THAT?"

"GET DOWN HERE!"

"YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE DOOMED!"

"COME DOWN HERE!"

Sonic walked stealthily behind the wall. Meanwhile, the mobian skunk on horseback approached the tree.

"You're not playing by the rules, boy." he said. "Deer don't climb trees. Perhaps he thinks he's a game bird."

His men began to laugh and jeer again.

"Shall we teach him to fly?" the skunk asked his men.

"Yeah!" they all replied.

"Get him down."

One soldier was about to cut the tree with an axe until a voice stopped them.

"Hold!"

It was Sonic. The mobian skunk and his men turned and saw him leering up on the wall.

"I'm curious as to what manner of creature is so fearsome that it takes 6 men to attack it?" Sonic asked.

"Stranger, this is no affair of yours." the skunk snapped

"Well, have we tried the devil himself? Let me see, a small boy-a truly dangerous animal."

The skunk gave the cyan hedgehog and annoyed but serious look.

"This boy killed one of the Sheriff of Snottingham's deer." he told Sonic.

"You starve us!" the kitsune protested in the tree. "We needed the meat!"

Sonic gave another coy look at the skunk who was getting increasingly annoyed and impatient.

"I advise you to move on, pilgrim." the skunk ordered. "This is the Sheriff's land."

"Wrong." corrected Sonic. "This is my land and my tree. Therefore, whatever is in it, also belongs to me."

The saffron fox, still in the tree, gave a smile while the mobian skunk became quite agitated.

"Might I have the pleasure of your name before I run you through?" he hissed.

"Sonic of Locksley." the cerulean male replied, keeping his cool.

The skunk stared at him before finally acknowledging him.

"Well, well, Locksley. Welcome home." he sneered. Then he turned to him men. "Kill him!"

The soldiers began to approach Sonic. When one was about to unsheathe his sword, Sonic whipped out a crossbow and fired. The arrow hit the soldier in the hand. The male hedgehog then threw the empty crossbow aside and called out for his companion.

"Shadow! It's time to redeem that vow!"

But the ebony hedgehog continued to meditate. The mobian skunk dew out his own sword.

"Unleash the hounds!" he ordered.

Before the soldier in charge of the blood hounds they brought along released them, Sonic shot another arrow from a different crossbow at him, this time hitting the head.

"Get off your damn knees!" Sonic shouted at Shadow.

Shadow was barely finishing his meditation session when he finally heard his cerulean companion. Back down below, a soldier was trying to reload his crossbow, when Sonic threw the one he acquired at the unfortunate mobian's face. The saffron fox who was still in the tree became excited with the action. The other soldiers, after watching Sonic throw their master off his horse, started to run away. The blue blur snatched away the skunk's sword and held him at sword point while he was sniveling on the ground, trying to get away.

"Now sir," Sonic began. "if you'd be so kind as to give me _your_ name, before I run _you_ through."

"Jeffery St. Croix of Gisborne." the skunk rasped. "That little basterd was poaching deer."

"Poaching? Is it not a greater crime to starve a family?"

"Go on, Locksley. Go on."

The skunk was egging Sonic on to kill him. But he relented.

"I've seen enough blood spilt to last two lifetimes." Sonic told him. "Now get off my land."

The cerulean hedgehog released Jeffery who shakenly but casually made his way back to his horse. Meanwhile Shadow was just barely getting down the hill.

"And tell Snottingham what happens to his scum when they pick on small children." Sonic added to St. Croix.

The skunk grudgingly went to his horse and watched Sonic take away his sword. When Shadow met up with the cyan speedster, he had a bone to pick with the midnight hedgehog.

"You," Sonic growled accusingly and angrily stabbed the ground with the sword. "you traveled 10,000 miles to save my life, then leave me to be butchered?"

"I fulfill my vows when I choose." Shadow said calmly.

"Which does not include prayer times or mealtimes or anytime when I'm outnumbered 6 to 1."

"You whine like a mule. You are still alive."

The ebony male then gave his companion a pat on the shoulder. Sonic let out a sigh and took back the sword he gained from St. Croix. He then went to the mistletoe tree which the young fox was still in.

"Have no fear." he told the kitsune. "Come down, boy."

The youngster carefully jumped out of the tree as Sonic approached him.

"Is it true, boy?" Sonic asked. "Did you kill a deer?"

"Hundreds of them." the twin tailed fox said with a smile.

Without another word, he ran off. Both Sonic and Shadow exchanged curious looks.

"You scared him." Sonic jokingly remarked.

Shadow ignored him and looked about the area.

"Interesting place this...Mercia." he said.


	6. Report to the Sheriff

=Chapter 6: Report to the Sheriff=

As the evening set in, Jeffery St. Croix finally made it to the Snottingham Castle. He was quite irritated after a humiliating defeat at the hands of Sonic. Jeffery stormed through the castle. A guard attempted to stop him.

"Hold up, Sir Jeffery." he said. "The Sheriff's not to be disturbed."

But the skunk furiously threw him aside and continued on his way. He burst into the room ahead, and saw his cousin, Scourge, sitting on a chair by a huge fire place. In the lime hedgehog's arms was a female echidna with bright red-orange fur and barley clad in a gray blanket. This was the same girl whose father had implored Lord Jules to help him but ultimately led him into a trap. Scourge was about to have his way with her until Jeffery bursted in. Scourge gave him a rather annoyed look.

"Cousin," he said in a low voice. "I trust you justify your intrusion with _profound_ value."

"I met a hooded man today," Jeffery told him. "who bade me warn you not to harm his people."

While he was talking, the female echidna sitting on the floor modestly wrapped a part of the blanket around her until Scourge caught her.

"Who told you to cover up?" he passively snapped.

The female then threw a part of the blanket off her shoulder at the male hedgehog's behest, leaving it bare. Scourge then turned back to the skunk.

"His name?" he asked.

"Sonic of Locksley." Jeffery replied.

Scourge made a devious grin.

"The prodigal son returns." he chuckled jokingly. "He's a whelp. This girl could best him."

Just then, two guards walked in carrying a stone statue of Scourge.

"Put it there!" the lime furred hedgehog ordered, pointing to a spot.

He got up out of his chair as the two men settled the statue down. When they left, Scourge closely inspected the stone carving of himself.

"Yes, well," Jeffery continued. "this whelp bested 4 of my men."

"Yes, well, your men were probably drunk." Scourge crudely pointed out. "And yet, you survived, cousin."

"I barely survived."

Scourge then sat down onto the floor beside the female echidna and pulled her into his lap.

"He has a companion." Jeffery added. "A dark-furred foreigner with the painted face of Black Arms. And he carries a Ddraig Goch sword."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure it would take an army to match these rouges." Scourge hastily and sarcastically replied. "I trust Locksley's visited his manor and found the home fires still burning."

Then both he and Jeffery shared an evil chuckle.

XXXXXXX

As night fell, Sonic and Shadow had finally arrived to the Locksley castle. But something was wrong. The whole castle was burned up and silent as the grave.

"Father?" Sonic called out as both he and Shadow paused. "Father!"

Then both the cyan and ebony hedgehogs began to run toward the entrance of the castle in a state of confusion and shock.

"Is anyone here?" Sonic called out again. "Duncan! Father!"

As they ran inside, the manor was in complete ruins. Everything was either burned or torn apart. Sonic looked around, breathing hard in shock and disbelief. When they got to a clearing, the blue blur saw a cage hung high on a beam. It had the incinerated and rotting body of Lord Jules inside.

"NO!" Sonic cried, turning away into Shadow's chest. "Noo..."

"Who is it?" Shadow rasped, also seeing the horrid sight.

"It's my father..."

Suddenly, they heard a noise coming from their left. Both Sonic and Shadow promptly drew their weapons as the blue blur looked about to see who or what was causing the noise.

"Who's there?" the cyan male called out. "Who's there?"

A weak shadowy figure emerged from the ruins.

"...Master Sonic...?" a small voice called out. "...is that you?"

The figure came a little further and Sonic immediately recognized him.

"Duncan?" he called out again.

"Oh praise be..." the weakened hedgehog uttered. "I thought God had abandoned us..."

Sonic confronted him.

"Duncan, my father?" he said in an angered tone and pointed to the corpse with his sword.

"Oh, it's a miracle!" Duncan cried gleefully as he wobbled over to Sonic.

"Why-why didn't you cut him down?"

"It's a miracle...I never thought that..."

Sonic then angrily grabbed his household servant in a fit of anger and sorrow.

"Are you deaf?" the blue blur cried.

"Easy!" Shadow interjected, stopping Sonic. "Look at him."

They both saw that Duncan had been violently blinded and no longer had any vision.

"I would have done, if I could see." the elder hedgehog muttered in despair.

Sonic took a minute to calm himself, as Duncan shakenly sat on the ground. The cyan hedgehog then squatted down to inspect the elder's face.

"Who did this to you, Duncan?" Sonic asked.

"Jeffery-Jeffery St. Croix of Gisborne." Duncan whimpered. "With the Sheriff and his witch looking on."

"Why?"

"They say that the Sheriff captured your father worshiping the Devil. That he signed a confession before the bishop."

Sonic looked at him, then at Shadow who was silently listening, then back at Duncan in utter disbelief. There was no way that Lord Jules would be capable of such heinous things.

"No.." Sonic breathed. "That's not possible."

"Snottingham declared all Locksley lands forfeit." Duncan continued.

"Did you believe the charges?"

Duncan slowly raised his face to his young master.

"Not even when they took my eyes." he replied valiantly.

Sonic, after giving the elder hedgehog a sympathetic look, hugged him as he began to sob.

XXXXXXX

The next morning, they had cut down Lord Jules' remains and gave them a proper burial. Sonic sat beside his father's grave staring at his father's medallion as it hung on the wooden cross he made as a grave marker, deep in thought. Shadow finally went over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"We must go." the ebony hedgehog softly told Sonic.

Sonic remained in his spot, still filled with grief. Duncan, who now sported a blindfold and a walking stick, sat on the trunk of a nearby tree.

"He loved you till the end, young Master." he rasped with sympathy. "He never gave up hope of your return."

Sonic shook his head.

"I should have been here." he said mournfully. "He called the crusades a foolish quest. He said it was vanity to force other men to our religion."

"But you must flee now." Duncan protested. "Head south to safety. St. Croix will surely seek revenge."

"I hear you, Duncan."

Shadow had quietly began to gather their belongings as Sonic and his servant were talking.

"You should go home." Sonic told Shadow, catching his attention. "My world's turned upside-down here. I cannot ask you to come where I am going."

"Alone, Christian, you will only get yourself killed." Shadow said in reply. "Besides, there is nothing left for me to go home to."

Sonic then drew out a dagger as he stared at his father's grave, full of rage.

"I will not rest until father is avenged!" he vowed as he slit his hand with the dagger. "I swear it, by my own blood."

Sonic squeezed his wounded hand into a tight fist, making blood ooze out between his fingers and holding it over the grave. He then brought his fist to his mouth as Shadow silently watched. Afterward, Sonic got up off his knees and took his father's medallion and placed it around his neck with a look of determination.


	7. Mortianna's Lair

=Chapter 7: Mortianna's Lair=

Deep within the confines of his castle, Scourge went down below where there was absolutely little or no daylight peering into it. The only light came from the torches on the walls. The lime hedgehog came prancing down the stairs and into another room.

"Mortianna?" he called out as he shifted his icy blue eyes back and forth.

He quickly closed the door and proceeded into the room, kicking a little frog away in disgust. The whole room in question was filled with either smoke or fog. A third of the floor was flooded with boggy water. In one part of the room there was a cross hanging upside down. Scourge continued looking around until he finally spotted a haggard figure emerging from the smoke. It was another female echidna. But she was so old, she positively looked ancient. Her fur was matted and silver as the moon itself. One eye was brown but the other merely had just the whites and the pupil. She was dressed in heavy black robes and donned fingerless gloves. Her talons had grown out, curved and were a sickly color. Her fanged teeth also appeared to be rotted. One would be absolutely sickened by the very sight of her and to be in her presence. But Scourge didn't mind her at all. In fact, this female happened to be his witch. When he saw her come forth, he smiled with hospitality.

"You called, Madam?" Scourge asked politely.

Mortianna, holding an egg-like object in her hand, hobbled over to her right and grabbed a golden plate off of a snoozing boa. She set the plate down on the floor as she sat and shooed away a few tiny frogs. Scourge loomed over her and waited with great impatience. The ancient echidna then took the egg-like object in her hands and cracked it open with her talons. Red goo came pouring out onto the plate, and Mortianna tossed the now empty shell towards the other side of the room. She then reached into her robes and pulled out a handful of runes. Holding them over the plate, she dropped them onto it, with only a few landing on the plate itself.

"What do you see?" Scourge asked.

Mortianna waved the plate around in her hands and looked into it.

"The son of a dead man." she replied in a screechy voice.

"Locksley.." Scourge growled. "Does he affect us?"

"He precedes the Lionheart."

The lime hedgehog took a moment to think.

"King Rob'O returns from the crusades." Scourge said, more to himself than the witch. "That could prove a bit awkward. It would soften the spines of the Barons." Then he turned back to the old echidna. "Soon?"

"Make haste." she muttered, still looking at the plate.

"But my plan is still intact?"

Suddenly, Mortianna's eye caught a rune with a skull and crossbones on the plate, causing her to shriek and violently throw the plate away from her.

"What's wrong?" Scourge demanded.

"I have seen our death..." Mortianna whimpered.

She quickly turned to Scourge with a look of horror.

"The painted hedgehog-" the witch rasped. "he haunts my dreams. Adorned with strange foreign markings."

Scourge looked at her with confusion, then realized who she was talking about.

"Ah! Locksley's companion!" he gasped.

Whimpering, Mortianna nodded and crawled into Scourge's arms after grabbing his shoulder.

"Kill him!" she begged with a sob. "Kill them both!"

Scourge patted her back comfortingly as he thought of another plan to dispatch Sonic and Shadow.


	8. Amy's Hospitality

**AN: A reviewer had kindly suggested that I sould use Sonia the Hedgehog from 'Sonic Underground', so I put her in the role of Maid Marion's Lady-in-Waiting, Sarah. Just to let you know ;D Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>=Chapter 8: Amy's Hospitality=<p>

The weather became cloudy and there was an overcast. Sonic and Shadow, now joined by Duncan, walked towards another castle.

"What is this place?" Shadow asked.

"Peter's home." Sonic replied. "It's nearly 6 years since we left together. We'll find food and shelter here."

They approached the front door and Sonic knocked. His previously self-wounded hand was now bandaged with a spare cloth. An elderly female chipmunk answered through a small square hole in the huge door.

"No more beggars!" she rudely said, promptly closing the hole.

Sonic gave a startled look, but knocked again. The old chipmunk answered.

"Tell the mistress of the house that Sonic of Locksley is at her door." the cyan speedster told her.

"Her ladyship is not here!" the chipmunk snapped.

She was about to close the hole again, but Sonic stopped her.

"Is the child, Amy at home?" he inquired again.

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't." the elder replied.

With that, she closed the hole shut on the blue blur's fingers, causing him to groan in pain. Shadow let out a sigh.

"The hospitality in this country is as warm as the weather." he said in a low, sarcastic tone.

Sonic, while helping Duncan up, glared at the ebony hedgehog.

"It's a joke." Shadow said nonchalantly.

"Really?" Sonic replied with a raised eyebrow.

The trio was about to leave when the old chipmunk unexpectedly opened the door and called their attention.

"Leave your weapons!"

Both Sonic and Shadow began to take off their swords from their belts until the elder stopped them.

"Just you!" she said, pointing at Sonic.

Shadow gave the cerulean speedster a look. He was uncomfortable with leaving Sonic alone in unfamiliar territory but he had little choice in the matter now. Sonic handed him his sword and dagger and entered the castle. The old female promptly closed the door thereafter. A few minutes later, Sonic and the elder entered a room lit mostly with candles, save for a few stain gloves windows.

"Wait here." the chipmunk told Sonic, pointing to a spot.

"Right here?" he replied jokingly.

The elder opened her mouth to say something, but then gave the male a nearly exasperated look and walked off. Sonic quietly chuckled to himself.

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile back outside, Shadow and Duncan were patiently waiting for Sonic to return.

"A curse on the Black Arms and Robians." Duncan ranted, prompting Shadow to lowly stare at him. "Were it not for their ungodly ways, Master Sonic would never have left."

The blind hedgehog then turned to Shadow, unaware of the offense he had made to him.

"What manner of name is iShadow/i?" Duncan asked. "Mercian? Eastern?"

Shadow slowly approached the elder with a low glare.

"Black Arms." he replied deeply, causing Duncan to gasp out at his own mistake of cursing.

XXXXXXX

Back inside the castle, Sonic was still waiting for its mistress. Then his ear twitched to a voice.

"Who are you?"

Sonic turned around towards the voice. Hidden in the darkness, a female hedgehog was looking down at him from the balcony of the second floor.

"Sonic of Locksley." the blue blur had replied.

"You lie." the female hedgehog said softly. "Sonic is dead. Step into the light."

Sonic moved toward a brightened area with is arms spread out.

"Turn around." the female ordered again.

Sonic gave a bit of an annoyed look, feeling that this was practically ridiculous, but did what was asked of him.

"Am I to dance next?" he asked sarcastically as he twirled. "Who are you?"

"I am the maid, Amy." the other hedgehog replied.

"Well then, show yourself child. For we know each other well."

The female moved forward into the light and revealed to be a magenta hedgehog with deep pine colored eyes. Sonic was taken quiet by surprise as she was far different than he last remembered her.

"The years have...been kind." Sonic stammered.

"Thank you." the magenta hedgehog replied. "With the king away, we must guard against villainous outlaws who would kidnap a relative of his."

"Surely, you can see that I am not one of those."

"Perhaps. Now remove yourself from this house."

Sonic became a little befuddled.

"I would, my lady." he said. "But I'm sworn to protect you."

"Protect me?" the female exclaimed with a chuckle. "Sonic of Locksley was nothing but a spoiled bully."

Suddenly, a figure clad in knight's armor walked up stealthily behind the blue blur and held him at sword point, which prompted him to carefully raise his arms.

"And beside as you can see," the magenta hedgehog continued. "we have enough protection."

Sonic frowned. He was in quite a pickle now. The female hedgehog started to leave.

"Amy, wait!" Sonic called out.

The figure behind him angrily tapped the point of the sword against him, motioning him to leave. Sonic let out a frustrated sigh.

"You are truly courageous against an unarmed man." he said to the figure.

Then, Sonic spun around and threw the armor clad mobian towards the other side of the room, causing the poor fellow to topple over a table and lose his sword. As Sonic reproached him, he whipped out a dagger and swung it aimlessly at the cyan male who easily dodged the blows.

The commotion quickly alerted Shadow who began attempting to open the front door. Duncan started to get excited.

"Point me towards danger, Shadow!" he cried. "I'm ready!"

The ebony hedgehog ignored him and continued trying to break open the door. Back inside, Sonic and the knight were still having a throw down. The knight pushed him down into a foot stool and lunged at him. Sonic managed to kick the knight away and grabbed a set of deer antlers hanging on the wall to use as a shield. But the knight easily carved and swiped the antlers to a small size while cornering Sonic into a wall. The blue blur saw that the hunting trophy could no longer protect him. He quickly dodged another attack by the knight as he lunged forward. This gave Sonic a golden opportunity. He grabbed the knight and slammed him up against the wall. The cyan male then grabbed the knight's wrist and hit it against the wall to make him drop the dagger. But the knight held on tightly to his weapon. Then, Sonic noticed some candles nearby and forcibly brought the knight's hand towards the flaming wick. The knight at first resisted, until...

"STOP! STOP!"

Sonic threw a confused glance at the knight as the cries sounded quite feminine. He then threw off the knight's helmet and drew back in surprise. Underneath that armor, was another female hedgehog with sakura fur and bright jade eyes. She breathed in gasps from the brawl they had. Suddenly, Shadow burst into the room, catching Sonic's attention. With him distracted, the cherry-pink hedgehog fiercely kneed the blue blur in the groin, making him fall into a heap beneath her. Shadow approached her cautiously, but paused after seeing that she was a female. He then looked curiously down at Sonic, who was still groaning in pain.

"Hello, Amy..." Sonic rasped.

The female hedgehog, still catching her breath, looked down at him and widened her jade eyes.


	9. Getting Reacquainted

=Chapter 9: Getting Reacquainted=

An hour later, the sun broke through the clouds outdoors. Sonic, Shadow, Duncan, and Amy-who changed back into her normal noble garbs-went into the courtyard of the manor. Sonic had told Amy what had become of her beloved brother.

"His last thoughts were of you." Sonic said solemnly, giving the sakura hedgehog the ring Peter had left behind.

Amy took it and made a sorrowful face.

"Oh Peter..." she murmured sadly.

Amy then put a hand to her face in mourning.

"I'm sorry, Amy." Sonic said softly. "I'm sorry."

The cherry-pink female shook her head.

"How do I know you didn't abandon him to save your own skin?" she asked pointedly.

"No one feels his loss more than I." Sonic said with honesty.

"Well, the next time I visit the capital, I'll be sure to convey your condolences to my mother."

Amy had gotten a little teary eyed and irate at Sonic, but who could blame her?

"I would think for your safety that you would join her there." Sonic pointed out with a sigh.

"No." Amy replied. "I have no interest in life at court. All that gossip mongering and currying favor..."

"But you're alone here."

"Hardly. These years have left us many in need. While you and my brother were off playing boy heroes, Snottingham has plundered the shire."

The female hedgehog gave a rather accusing look at the blue blur.

"I see you still have your lands." Sonic pointed out again this time smugly.

Amy threw a dirty look at him.

"Because I give them no excuse to take them." she said in a direct tone. "I am the King's cousin, it is my station to look after these people until his return."

With that, she got up in a huff and began walking away. Sonic paused with his thoughts, realizing he was a bit rough right there. He then got up and ran after her. Amy tried running away from him but he caught up.

"Amy!" Sonic called out. "Amy!"

The sakura female finally stopped but looked as if she were about to cry.

"My purpose in coming was not to hurt you." sonic continued softly. "I swore...I swore to your brother that I would protect you."

"You cannot replace my brother.." Amy tearfully exclaimed and started to walk away again.

"I don't.." Sonic explained, going after her once more. "I don't want to replace him. Amy, I've returned to my home to find it destroyed and my father murdered!"

They had entered into a part of the courtyard where Shadow was sitting on the wall and putting together a telescope with magnifying glasses and leather. Amy had really started to cry with exasperation but was still trying to hold her tears at bay.

"And the only explanations for it," Sonic continued, while pointing at Duncan. "are the ramblings of an old blind man."

Amy turned away with more tears coming down her muzzle.

"All I remember of you, is a spoiled bully," Amy cried. "who used to burn my hair as a child."

Sonic gave a guilty, admitting, and sympathetic look.

"Please allow that years of war and prison may change a man." he said softly.

Amy collected her emotions and shook her head again.

"Sonic, whatever happened between you and your father, you mustn't believe what they accused him of." she said heartily.

"I don't." the cyan hedgehog replied, shaking his head.

Suddenly, Shadow called out to him, catching both his and Amy's attention.

"CHRISTIAN!"

Sonic ran towards the wall and climbed the ladder up to it. Shadow looked through his newly made telescope.

"Look." he commanded, handing Sonic the telescope. "Look!"

Sonic curiously took it, having never seen one before, and looked through it with Shadow pointing. It showed another cavalcade of soldiers on horseback, being led by Jeffery St. Croix. The magnified view made Sonic jump and quickly draw his sword, prompting a confused look from Shadow. Sonic, when not looking through the telescope and seeing that St. Croix were still quite a distance away from the manor, shook the telescope confusingly before taking another look. Again it showed an up close view of St. Croix and his band. Sonic, still looking through the telescope, tried poking them with his sword. Shadow, in exasperation and annoyance, took the telescope away from him.

"How did your uneducated kind ever take Robotropolis?" he asked.

"God knows." Sonic replied.

"What is it?" Amy called out.

Both Sonic and Shadow exchanged looks and jumped off the wall, landing on a large pile of hay. Shadow rushed forward to fetch Duncan, while Sonic ran towards Amy.

"What is it?" the cherry-pink hedgehog asked again.

"It's Snottingham's soldiers." Sonic replied.

"Coming here? Is this your protection?"

"I killed some of the Sheriff's men."

Amy gave a look of dread.

"Oh dear..." she murmured.

"I fear I've placed you in danger." Sonic rasped.

"I can take care of myself, just go!"

Then Amy caught Shadow on a dark brown horse and helping Duncan onto it.

"No, that's my horse!" she cried in protest.

"A truly magnificent animal, my Lady." Shadow replied with a grin.

Jeffery St. Croix and his band of soldiers drew closer to the castle manor.

"Go!" Amy cried.

"I said I'm sworn to protect you." Sonic protested.

"And I say no more boyish gestures."

"I'm not leaving."

Then, the soldiers entered the courtyard.

"Stop them!" Amy cried out to them and giving Sonic an infuriated look. "They're stealing my horses!"

The cerulean hedgehog then realized he had to make his exit now.

"You're so kind, Amy.." Sonic whispered into the female's ear.

"Ooh!" she cried when he lightly smacked her on the rear with his sword.

The blue blur then raced towards another horse that Shadow brought out and promptly mounted it. The trio quickly took off just as the band of soldiers intercepted them. A few tried to stop them by firing their crossbows at them. Sonic and Shadow with Duncan sitting behind him, managed to leave the castle grounds and towards the open land ahead. Back at the manor courtyard, Jeffery St. Croix confronted Amy.

"You've been sheltering outlaws, Lady Amy?" the skunk inquired.

"They're thieves, you imbecile." Amy snapped.

"Lucky he didn't steal your virtue as well." Jeffery crudely commented.

The mobian skunk then rallied his men.

"A CROWN TO THE MAN WHO BRINGS ME LOCKSLEY'S HEAD!" Jeffery shouted to his soldiers. Then he turned back to Amy, nodding. "My Lady."

With that, the cavalcade raced after the trio with Amy watching while mischievously grinning. Meanwhile, Sonic and Shadow were racing through the open hills with Jeffery and his soldiers following behind. They came towards the edge of Deerwood Forest and paused from fleeing. Shadow quickly whipped out his telescope and looked into it. Sonic noticed that horse he was riding on had been shot and took out the arrows.

"Have we lost them?" he asked.

Shadow silently continued to look through his telescope until he caught a visual.

"No." he replied. "My horse carried two. Yours is lame. We cannot outrun them."

"Leave me, Master Sonic." Duncan implored. "I slow your escape."

"We can lose them in the forest." Sonic concluded.

"Deerwood Forest is haunted, Master."

"Either we take our chances with the ghosts or we become ghosts ourselves."

Without another word, they took off into the deep confines of Deerwood Forest.


	10. Quaterstaff Duel

=Chapter 10: Quarterstaff Duel=

The trio disappeared into the forest as St. Croix and his men entered it. Jeffery proceeded into it, but stopped when he noticed that the soldiers would not take a step further.

"Come on, damn you!" the mobian skunk cried. "There are only three of them!"

"It's not the men we fear, sir." said one guard. "It's the evil spirits!"

Frustrated, Jeffery turned back towards the forest.

"SONIC OF THE HOOD!" he shouted, trying to entice the blue blur to come out. "SON OF A DEVIL WORSHIPER! YOUR FATHER DIED A COWARD! CURSING YOUR NAME AND SQUEALING LIKE A STUCK PIG!"

Of course this infuriated Sonic all the more, but Shadow held him back.

"You will bring no justice to your father by dying today!" the ebony hedgehog whispered harshly.

Sonic then remained silent, making Jeffery finally leave in frustration at having been defeated again. As soon as he was gone, the trio proceeded further into the forest. Hours later, they were still going through the thickness of the wood remaining cautious of anything. Suddenly they heard a clattering noise, making them stop and Shadow draw his sword.

"...Master Sonic?" Duncan called out timidly.

Sonic continued looking around. Then he found what was making the strange noise.

"There are your ghosts, Duncan." Sonic said, pointing towards an instrument hanging in the trees. "Wind chimes. A child's toy put to good use."

The cerulean hedgehog then noticed how unsettled Shadow was.

"You scare easily my painted Black Arms." Sonic quipped.

Shadow continued to look about with his sword still drawn as Sonic continued on his way.

"This forest has eyes." the midnight hedgehog rasped. "I swear it."

XXXXXXX

A little later, the trio came to a river and a small waterfall. Both Sonic and Shadow looked around the greenery.

"In my dreams alone," Shadow commented. "have I imagined such a place."

Sonic made a joking a smirk.

"Then imagine a way to cross it." he said sarcastically referring to the river.

The blue blur dismounted from his horse and approached the river. He took out his sword and carefully crossed by stepping on the stones that stuck out of the water while Shadow watched. Half way across, Sonic dipped his sword into the water and found that it wasn't too deep. After getting into the river himself, he saw that it only went below his knees.

"There's hope!" Sonic shouted gleefully to his companions.

Suddenly, a hidden rope in the water sprang up and tripped the cyan male, causing him to fall into the water below.

"There-was-a-rich-from-Snottingham," a voice sang to the tune of 'Pop Goes the Weasel'. "who-tried-to-cross-the-river. What-a-dope-he-tripped-on-a-rope! Now-look-at-him-shi-ver!"

Sonic quickly looked around and spotted another hedgehog with leaf green fur and hazel eyes hidden in the foliage.

"Beg for mercy, rich man!" the hedgehog shouted.

Sonic smirked impressively at him and bent down to pick up his sword, but could not find it.

"I beg of no man." he answered back.

Suddenly, more mobians popped out from the trees and bushes with yells, shouts, and jeers. They were all peasants from the look of it. They surrounded Sonic and his two companions. The hazel-eyed hedgehog came forward towards Sonic.

"Well, this here is our river." he exclaimed. "And any man who wishes to cross, must pay a tax!"

"YEAH!" the other mobians shouted.

"I will pay no tax." Sonic declared. "As you can see, I have nothing. Not even my sword."

"BOLLOCKS!" shouted a red echidna with violet eyes. "Any man who travels with two servants and claims he's got no bloody money, is either a fool or a liar!"

"Yeah, he's a liar!" the leaf-green hedgehog shouted.

The crimson echidna, holding a staff approached Sonic on the river.

"Who are you?" the cyan male inquired.

"Knuckles Little." the echidna declared. "Best man of the woods."

The other mobians cheered and heckled at this. Sonic smirked.

"Well, _best man_," he said. "do you lead this rabble?"

"Yes, I do, mate." Knuckles replied. "And if you tosspots want to travel through Deerwood Forest, it's going to cost you that gold medallion."

Sonic looked down at his father's medallion which he recently inherited.

"This is sacred to me." he told Knuckles.

"It's sacred to us too, matey." Knuckles countered. "That there will feed us for a bloomin' month."

"You'll have to fight me for it."

Knuckles grinned as his band cheered and heckled at Sonic's challenge.

"Love to mate." the echidna said.

He tossed his wooden staff to Sonic who caught it. The other mobians cheered in anticipation. Sonic turned towards Shadow who shrugged in reply. Knuckles took off his outer cloak as a young kitsune came running up to him with another rod. It was the very same youngster whom Sonic had rescued from before.

"Be careful, father!" he cried. "he walloped 12 of the Sheriff's men!"

"Is that so?" Knuckles replied as he gave the kit his cloak and took the rod from him. "Reckon I'm going to enjoy."

Sonic stared at the youngster in a little shock.

"Hey!" he shouted out to him. "_That's_ your father?"

The boy gave him a happy-go-lucky grin and a nod to which Sonic a bit nervously exchanged. The band of peasants leered Knuckles on as he readied for combat. They pushed Shadow and Duncan towards the edge of the river as they gathered around to watch. Sonic still stared at Shadow, expecting him to fulfill his vow of protection and he still encouraged Sonic to own up to his challenge. Knuckles approached him and they got ready to dual. The echidna smacked Sonic's hand, making him growl in pain and prompting the audience to laugh and jeer at him. Sonic engaged in combat again and the pair fought until Knuckles managed to knock the cyan hedgehog down into the river below the smaller waterfall. Everyone laughed and went toward that area.

"He's drowning!" the hazel eyed hedgehog quipped.

Sonic popped up from the water and noticed that his medallion was missing. Then it was revealed that Knuckles had it when he hung it above the blue blur's head as it dangled from his rod.

"Lost something?" Knuckles quipped.

Sonic made a grab for it but the ruby male quickly pulled it out of his reach.

"Thanks for the taxes!" he chuckled.

"Looks like the little rich boy is lost for words, eh?" the leaf-green hedgehog jeered.

Sonic remained in the river, a bit flustered. He turned to Shadow who was silently watching.

"Any great ideas?" the cyan hedgehog called out.

"Get up!" Shadow shouted. "Move faster!"

"Move faster..." Sonic muttered to himself. "Great idea."

Knuckles was walking back towards his son when the cerulean speedster ran up behind him. The shouts of the other peasants tried to warn the echidna, but Sonic managed to knock him down into the water.

"We're not through yet." Sonic said with a grin.

"All right, my old cocker." Knuckles spat. "You want another good walloping? You shall have one!"

They engaged each other in battle again. Sonic was able to match Knuckles accurately, move for move. The blue blur managed to knock the ruby echidna down again. Sonic turned back to Shadow, who was still watching silently with his arms folded.

"Seems I've made it past the gate, Knuckles Little." the cyan male quirked. "Or should I call you, _Little Knuckles_?"

Knuckles gave a rather dirty look.

"Hit him, father!" the young kit called from afar. "Wallop him!"

Sonic and Knuckles went at it again. Both kept dodging from the other's blows. This time, it was Knuckles who knocked Sonic down, even leaving him with a bloody nose. The blue blur, unabashed, got back up, and continued the fight until they locked neck and neck.

"Swimming time again, old chum." Knuckles hissed.

He wacked Sonic into the water and he was carried off by the current and down the bigger waterfall. Sonic disappeared beneath the wash, prompting a concerned look from Shadow. Knuckle jumped forward, landing on a large rock and searched for Sonic in the water.

"Where is he?" the young fox called out. "Do you see him?"

Knuckles continued searching for the cerulean male. Shadow was getting intensely edgy about Sonic's absence. Finally, the crimson echidna faced his band of thieves and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's a bloomin' shame." Knuckles called out. "He was a brave lad."

Suddenly, Sonic snuck up behind him and thrusted his rod between the male echidna's legs, whacking him in the groin and making him fall into the river below. Knuckles panicked and began screaming and kicking.

"Do you yield?" Sonic asked as he took hold of the echidna.

"I CAN'T BLOODY SWIM!" Knuckles shouted.

Sonic dunked him into the water.

"Do you yield?" he asked again.

"YES!" Knuckles cried.

"Good, now put your feet down."

Knuckles did what he was told to do and realized that the water was shallow enough for him to stand up in. He looked at Sonic, impressed.

"I'll be buggered." Knuckles laughed.

"The medallion." Sonic ordered.

"Give me your name first."

"Sonic of Locksley."

The revelation of the blue blur's name prompted a sour look from the hazel-eyed hedgehog.

"Well, Sonic of Locksley..." Knuckles said as he removed the medallion from his neck and placed it around Sonic's. "You got balls of solid rock! Come on!"

After giving the cerulean hedgehog a friendly pat on the shoulder, he led him, Shadow and Duncan to his camp as his band of peasant mobians cheered with newfound appreciation for the blue blur.


	11. Outlaw Campfire

=Chapter 11: Outlaw Campfire=

That night, Sonic, Duncan, and Shadow had joined with Knuckles and his band. They were gathered around a campfire while the crimson echidna was seated in a tree along with the young fox. He was introduced as Wulf Tails and was Knuckles' adopted son. A jug of liquor was being passed around as the others were introduced.

"That's Vector, the Miller's son." Knuckles pointed out. "'Flyin' Ray Brownell, and that stumpy one there, is Mighty of Doncaster. But the lads all calls him 'Bull'."

The others let out a hearty laugh. The only one keeping silent was Shadow.

"Cause you're short?" Sonic asked the armadillo.

"No." Mighty replied. "It's 'cause I'm so long!"

He made a joking gesture towards his crotch area and everyone broke into laughter.

"Here, look!" Mighty shouted as he started to undo his trousers.

"No, Bull." Sonic snickered. "Save it, save it. Save it for the ladies."

"Gave the man some mead." Knuckles said, pointing to the cyan hedgehog.

Another member of the band passed Sonic the jug and he took a drink.

"Now, I made that myself." Knuckles pointed out.

Sonic gave a nod as the jug was passed around again. His emerald eye caught Ray and another member skipping Shadow.

"Has Mercian hospitality changed so much in six years that a friend of mine's not welcome at this table?" Sonic asked pointedly.

"But he's a savage sire." Ray whispered.

"That he is." Sonic flatly agreed. "But no more than you or I. And don't call me sire."

Then, the squirrel offered the jug to the ebony hedgehog who was appreciative of Sonic sticking up for him.

"With regret, I must decline." Shadow said lowly. "The Chaos Force forbids it."

"Your bloody loss, mate." Knuckles said with a raised eyebrow and a shrug.

"How is it there are so many of you in hiding?" Sonic asked.

"Well, we're all outlaws." Knuckles explained. "Got prices on our heads. Even the young lad there."

The ruby echidna made a head motion towards Tails as the kitsune took a drink from the jug.

"It's that blasted Sheriff." Knuckles continued. "He says we owes him taxes."

He and his men broke into short laughter. Even Sonic.

"Well, you know, your ghosts will only keep the Sheriff's men at bay so long." he pointed out.

"They've worked so far." the leaf-green hedgehog countered. "You have a better idea?"

Sonic turned around and gave him a look. The other hedgehog had been in the back leaning against a tree the entire time. Sonic then turned back towards the fire pit.

"You can always fight back." the cerulean male murmured.

Everyone around him let out a sarcastic laugh.

"I reckon I must have cracked that noble head of yours." Knuckles snickered. "These are all good lads here. They got hearts of oak, but they're farmers. It'd be lambs to the slaughter."

"They say the Sheriff was raised by a witch." Mighty whispered.

That caught Shadow's attention.

"Witch?" he asked.

"She knows every man's thoughts." Tails said with a mischievous grin. "You can see right through her, and she flies."

"That's a load of cods wallop, Wulf." Knuckles said sternly.

The hazel-eyed then decided to step in again.

"What does the rich son of a devil worshiper care what happens to a band of outlaw peasants?" he asked pointedly.

Duncan took an immediate offence to that question.

"My lord was a kind and generous man!" the elder cried, upset. "Who among you dares believe him capable-"

Before he could finish, Sonic calmed him down.

"My father was no devil worshiper." the blue blur declared. "And I'll have words with any man who says otherwise."

There was a brief silence.

"But he's right." Sonic continued, referring to the leaf-green hedgehog. "I was a rich man's son. But when I killed the Sheriff's men, I became an outlaw, just like you."

"You are nothing like us." the hazel-eyed male snapped as he walked away in a huff.

"Well...that there's Manik Scarlett." Knuckles said. "Don't take note of him. He's full of piss and wind."

He and the others shared a laugh. Sonic however found Manik's behavior towards him odd.

"Come on, lads. Drink up." Knuckles said. "Stop talking so much bloody rubbish. This here is the best we simple men can expect. Here we're safe. Here...we are kings!"

The echidna's band chuckled in agreement.

XXXXXXX

The next morning, Sonic looked out the window of a hut in the camp he and his little group took residence in, deep in thought. He noticed Duncan struggling to get up.

"Too much mead, old friend?" Sonic joked.

"Oh, forgive me. I overslept." Duncan said in a husky tone.

"No, no. Rest yourself."

The blue blur gently pushed the older hedgehog back in his pile of hay and straw. Sonic looked out again and watched a few of the camp residents who were already up and going about their morning routine.

"What day is it, Duncan?" he asked.

"Sunday, I think." Duncan rasped.

"Do they still give alms to the poor at mass?"

"That, they do. These days, the need for mercy is greater than ever."

Sonic went deep in thought again. Forming a plan.


	12. Sunday Church

=Chapter 12: Sunday Church=

Deep within the confines of the town of Snottingham, the residents, both rich and poor, and the government officials were gathered together for weekly mass in the town's cathedral. Also there, was Amy with her lady-in-waiting, Sonia and even Scourge with his cousin Jeffery St. Croix. They were all knelt before the altar. Leading the congregation, was a mobian owl known as the Bishop of Herford. He appeared as a passionate priest, but unknown to everyone, he was corrupt and in league with Scourge's evil doings to the populace.

"We beseech thy blessing, Lord." the Bishop chanted aloud in prayer. "On all your people, but most especially, on our noble Sheriff of Snottingham."

Scourge acted as if he were truly pious and humbled by the priest's blessing. While the Bishop was delivering his _moving_ prayer, the lime hedgehog turned and gawked at Amy. When she noticed him, she nodded her head, acknowledging him. Then as Scourge continued to gawk at her, the sakura hedgehog nudged Sonia. The magenta female scooted closer to her mistress and stood up higher to block the male's view. Scourge a little reluctantly, turned back towards the altar.

"Grant him the wisdom to guide and protect our glorious city!" the Bishop continued. "Grant him also the strength to bring to justice the lawless men who would threaten its safety and prosperity and the judgment to punish them. In your name, Amen."

As the congregation quietly repeated his final word, the owl gestured the sign of the cross over them.

"Go in peace." the Bishop declared as the crowd crossed themselves as well.

Then the parishioners got up to leave. A small group of poorer attendees stood near the main entrance of the cathedral and begged and pleaded for alms. Most of the noblemen and women refused as they made their exit. Amy saw them and could not just pass them by.

"Sonia." she said, making a gesture at her lady-in-waiting.

"Yes, madam." Sonia replied.

She went over to the group as Amy went another direction. The magenta hedgehog then distributed some coins amongst the begging group until she had no more. The poorer mobians thanked and blessed her for her generosity. Meanwhile, Amy had gone to a prayer corner surrounded by candles and got onto a kneeler. As she began to quietly pray, a hooded figure with a walking stick approached her.

"Alms for a blind man, milady?" the figure whispered quietly. "For one who cannot see your beauty..."

Amy's head shot up at the sound of his voice and blinks. She turned towards him and discovered that it was Sonic in disguise, hiding from Scourge and his men.

"Hello." the blue blur said with a grin.

"What are you doing here?" Amy quietly cried, nervously looking around.

"Searching my soul."

"I do not wish to be seen with an outlaw."

"You prefer the company of Snottingham then?"

Sonic made a gesture towards Scourge, who was in an animated conversation with a few barons but all the while stealing a few glances at Amy. The cherry-pink female let out a sigh.

"There's a price on your head." she whispered.

"How much?" Sonic asked, interested.

"100 gold mobiums."

The cyan hedgehog looked a little insulted.

"Is that all?" he quietly exclaimed. "I shall have to annoy the good Sheriff more. Soon, it will be 1000."

"For 1000, I would turn you in myself." Amy remarked coldly with a raised eyebrow. Then she became serious. "Snottingham is mounting an army. He has every black smith in the county holed up in the castle making swords and armor."

Sonic became a little curious about this information while Amy was becoming more unnerved at being caught with him by the second.

"What's he planning?" the cerulean speedster asked.

"I don't know." Amy replied honestly. "But there's no limit to the man's ambitions."

Both cast a quick glance at Scourge and the barons who were still discussing matters unknown to them. Then they appeared to be wrapping up their conversation and headed in the pair's direction.

"Go!" Amy cried.

"Thank you." Sonic replied with appreciation.

"Quickly! Go!"

Amy took another nervous and quick glance towards Scourge before calling back Sonic.

"Sonic, do something for me!" she quietly cried out.

"What?" Sonic asked.

"Take a bath!"

The blue blur made a face.

"_Take a bath?_" he questionably repeated.

Amy gave a little nod in reply. Sonic looked all over himself before going on his way.

XXXXXXX

In the sanctuary of the cathedral, the Bishop was removing his rings and priestly vestments. Then, Sonic, still under the guise of a beggar, entered silently. A second later, the Bishop noticed him.

"These are private chambers, my son." he told Sonic.

The owl turned back to resume what he was doing before as Sonic unhooded himself and crept up behind him.

"I have priests who would hear your confession-AHH!"

Sonic had playfully pinched the old owl as he cried out, startled. The blue blur quietly raised a finger to his lips motioning him to be quiet. After a few moments of staring, the Bishop slightly smiled.

"I see the boy I knew in the man before me." he commented as Sonic grinned. "Welcome home, Sonic."

The high ranking priest extended his hand to the cerulean speedster who took and kissed it.

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile, back in the main hall of the church, Scourge had finally managed to meet up with Amy.

"You shine like the sun, my lady." Scourge said in a low, flirtatious voice as he took the female's hand and kissed it.

Amy gave a little nervous laugh and tried to be on her way, but the lime hedgehog persistently got in front of her.

"You've been meeting with Sonic of Locksley." he playfully accused, then became a little serious. "My cousin tells me the knave deprived you of some horses."

"Oh...yes." Amy stammered. "A most disagreeable experience."

The pair began to walk together through the cathedral. Amy however looked as if she couldn't wait to get away from Scourge.

"Yes, I know." the dual-scarred chested male told her. "And for inflicting that upon you, I'm going to hang him from the walls by his own entrails."

"I'd like to see that." Amy replied with a raised eyebrow after picturing that and remembering how the blue blur was such a bully to her.

"If you'd bring your household within the city walls, I could give your every need my personal attention."

The sakura hedgehog shook her head.

"I do thank you, my lord." she said sincerely but hastily. "But I prefer to stay in my family's home for now."

Scourge gave a look of obvious disappointment. But quickly wiped it off with a passionate one.

"Oh. Well, then, perhaps you'd do me the honor of accepting a small token of my undying devotion to your safety." he said softly.

Then the lime green male drew out a dagger with a gold and jewel encrusted handle. He pulled it out with such speed, that it made the cherry-pink female jump.

"Oh!" Amy cried as Scourge placed the dagger in it's sheathe. "Why...King Rob'O will be deeply moved to hear of your concern of my welfare."

Scourge made a little uncomfortable face at the mention of Mercia's king.

"Yes, um...I'm afraid the King has many enemies both abroad and at home." he stammered lowly. "I should fear for his safe return."

Amy smiled ignorantly and patted the Sheriff's shoulder while taking the dagger from him.

"Oh no, fear not, dear Sheriff." she reassured him. "He will return, and when he does, he will wish to reward his faithful subjects."

The two exchanged awkward smiles and Scourge promptly took off. He was truthfully a little irritated talking about King Rob'O.

XXXXXXX

Back inside the sanctuary, Sonic and the Bishop were sitting by a stain glass window, discussing Lord Jules' final moments.

"I asked your father three times if he worshiped the Dark One." the Bishop explained. "Because his answer vexed me so grievously. He said he must meet greet God with a clear conscious."

Sonic glared lowly at him. He was definitely not buying it. The whole thing just sounded so wrong and incorrect to him.

"You lie." Sonic told the Bishop in a low voice after shaking his head.

He promptly got up and stomped out of the room, much to the owl's surprise. When he opened the door to leave, the cerulean hedgehog was suddenly face to face with Scourge. In surprise, Sonic back away a little while Scourge gave a furious look as St. Croix came to his side. The Bishop frantically jumped up and rushed over to them.

"_On your souls,_" he cried. "_do not shed blood in the house of God!_"

In a split second, Sonic whipped out a dagger and sliced open the left side of Scourge's muzzle causing him to fall backwards onto St. Croix. The lime hedgehog let out a yell of pain and cursed as the blue blur slammed the door shut. Sonic quickly looked about for an escape route with the Bishop shivering in the corner. Then when Scourge's soldiers bursted in, the cyan male took ahold of a rope that held a chandelier aloft, and cut it. It caused the chandelier to fall and hoist Sonic up into a small crawl space in the ceiling.

"LOCKSLEY!" Scourge roared. "I'M GOING TO CUT YOUR HEART OUT WITH A SPOON!"

"Then it begins." Sonic said, pointing at his arch-rival before getting away.

As he fled through the roof, the guards tried to fire their arrows at him but were unsuccessful. Scourge then ran through the cathedral in pursuit, hitting a few bystanders that got in his way. Outside the church, Sonic managed to get out safely and ran towards a pen where horses were being kept. He quickly mounted a white one and knocked the guard tending to it away.

"He's taking the Sheriff's horse!" the unfortunate mobian cried.

Just as Sonic was making his getaway, Scourge rushed out of the cathedral.

"CLOSE THE GATES!" he shouted.

Sonic tore through the crowd of startled and confused civilians like a bullet as the soldiers scrambled around to catch him. As he was escaping, the cerulean hedgehog snatched a bag of fruit and bread from a food stand.

"Close the gates!" one guard shouted. "He's taken the Sheriff's horse!"

But orders were useless. Sonic easily went past them and through the town gates. When Scourge and the rest of men got there and watched the blue blur get away, Scourge angrily took one guard who was supposed to help close the gates, and punched the hell out of him. The bemused crowd of civilians watching, broke out into laughter which infuriated Scourge more.

"What are you looking at?" he barked which immediately silenced the crowd.

Sonic made a hasty escape, dodging the soldiers' arrows and making it all the way back to Deerwood Forest. The first one to greet him there, was Shadow with his sword drawn and looking both furious and relieved.

"WATER!" he shouted towards the other peasants.

"Thank you." Sonic rasped, catching his breath.

"For the animal." Shadow replied, referring to the horse. "How can I protect you Christian, if I know not where you go?"

Sonic took the sack filled with fruit and bread that he had snatched and emptied it. He took a loaf of bread and left the rest for everyone else.

"You've hardly raised a finger when you do know." the cerulean hedgehog pointed out to his ebony companion.

"I prefer to have the choice." Shadow replied.

As Sonic walked off to find Duncan, a miffed Manik approached him.

"Wonderful." he remarked. "You've stolen the Sheriff's horse?"

"You've stirred up a bloody hornets' nest now." Knuckles agreed who was nearby.

"Are you afraid, Knuckles?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, a little."

"Well, so is the Sheriff. Today I gave him a sting he'll not forget."

"You fool!" Manik cried angrily. "You've started a war!"

"We're already at war." Sonic countered.

The cyan male found Duncan sitting quietly at the trunk of a large tree. Sonic knelt beside him and handed him the loaf in his hands.

"Duncan..." he called out softly. "..bread."

The blind male took the loaf as his cyan master turned back towards the band of outlaws.

"And I say we strike back at the very man who takes our homes." Sonic declared. Then he glanced at Tails. "And would hunt our children."

"We?" Knuckles inquired. "You planning to join us then, matey?"

Sonic made a small grin.

"No. To lead you." he replied, getting a rather flustered look from the ruby echidna as he walked off.

Shadow approached the blue blur with a few concerns.

"Christian, these are simple people." the midnight male protested. "They are not warriors. Be careful you do not do this for your own purposes."

"You forget yourself, Shadow." Sonic replied, dignified. "I do not ask for your company or your counsel."

Shadow let out a sigh after his cerulean companion patted his shoulder.


	13. One True Weapon

=Chapter 13: One True Weapon=

Back at Snottingham Castle, Scourge, seated in a chair with a white cloth catching the blood that seeped out from the slit that Sonic gave him earlier, was being treated by the Scribe, a mobian snake. Leaning on one of the pillars was Jeffery St. Croix, eating an apple.

"Why a spoon, cousin?" the male skunk asked curiously. "Why not an ax or something-"

"BECAUSE IT'S DULL, YOU TWIT! IT'LL HURT MORE!" Scourge barked, interrupting. "I want this brigand found. Starve them out! Slaughter their-no, _take_ their live stock! I want Locksley's own people fighting to bring his head in!"

The scribe wobbled over to the lime hedgehog with a needle and thread as St. Croix wandered over to the fire place where Scourge was seated.

"Well, perhaps we could create a name for him." the skunk suggested. "Something to drive fear into the hearts of the populace. Maybe 'Locksley the Lethal', or 'Wreaking Sonic', or-"

"Whatever!" Scourge ranted, interrupting again. "I want him dead by the next full moon. Before the Barons come back."

Then the male hedgehog turned to the Scribe who was ready to operate on him.

"Now sew!" Scourge ordered. Just before the needle touched his muzzle, he turned back to the Scribe with another command. "And keep the stitches small!"

XXXXXXX

The very next day, Jeffery and his men raided and sacked a poor village near Deerwood Forrest. The soldiers barged into houses and huts, assaulted some unlucky villagers, and started taking away the farm animals. After rigorous searching, one of the guards went up to St. Croix who was on horseback.

"Ah, he's not here, sir." the soldier told his master.

Then Jeffery turned to the head of the village who was a lavender and pink furred female echidna also heavily pregnant. Her name was Julie-Su.

"Where is your mate?" Jeffery asked her. "The man they call, 'Little'?"

"He died. Last Winter." she answered boldly.

The skunk obviously wasn't convinced nor satisfied.

"Burn it down." he ordered his men."

The soldiers began to torch all the houses and huts, and tore apart the watch tower and the animal pens. The frightened villagers started to run for their lives. One elderly villager went up to St. Croix as he and his men began to move on.

"Leave us the sow!" he pleaded. "Her young ones will feed us through the winter!"

"Beware of the Deerwood Bandit." Jeffery replied, almost ignoring him.

"Sonic of the Hood? Yes, sir!"

"Pray he's brought to us before winter."

With their home burnt to the ground, and having nowhere else to go, the poor villagers began journeying to Deerwood Forest to join other family members and friends. The band of outlaws were surprised and shocked to see them. They ran over to greet them in a flurry of footsteps.

"Ma!" Tails cried when he saw Julie-Su.

As the band all rushed over to the villagers, Sonic and Shadow, seated on the trunk of a fallen tree, watched. Julie-Su rushed over to her mate, Knuckles. The crimson echidna in a worried frenzy, checked her and her enlarged belly for injuries. Everyone else was exchanging questions, answers, and explanations. One villager was talking with Manik.

"Where is this Sonic Hood, now?" he asked.

"He's there." Manik replied, pointing towards the cerulean hedgehog.

They stormed over to him and the villager scooped up his son.

"LOOK!" he cried, showing Sonic his son's injuries. "LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE!"

After seeing this and a mob approaching, Shadow slowly turned towards his companion with a raised eyebrow.

"If it is fame you seek, Christian." he said nonchalantly. "I think you have it."

The ebony hedgehog took his sword, jumped off the tree and walked off. The rest of the mob approached the blue blur who was still seated on the tree trunk.

"You brought this misery on us, Locksley." Manik accused.

"It's Snottingham trying to divide us." Sonic countered.

"We _are_ divided, rich boy! I'm not as blind as that old man over there."

The leaf green hedgehog pointed to Duncan.

"You're still trying to be lord of the manor." Manik continued angrily. He then turned to the crowd to rile them up. "I heard today the Sheriff now values your neck at 500 gold pieces."

Sonic continued to keep a cool and collected demeanor though he had to smile when he heard the price on him was raised.

"I say we turn him in!" Manik shouted.

The others agreed. But Sonic still kept a calm attitude.

"Manik, do you think that the Sheriff will give back everything after I'm gone?" the cerulean speedster asked.

"He'll give us the reward and our pardons." the hazel eyed hedgehog shot back.

"Wrong."

Sonic leapt off the tree and approached the crowd.

"He'll stretch your necks one by one." he continued, pointing at them with his bow.

"What would you have us do?" Manik smugly asked. "Fight armored men on horseback with rocks and our bare hands?"

Sonic gave a nod.

"If needs be." he replied. Then he approached the leaf green male. "But with one true weapon that escapes you, Manik. Courage."

Then as the cyan male began to walk off, Manik angrily whipped out a throwing knife. Tails caught on immediately.

"Look out!" he cried.

Sonic, in two seconds, whipped out an arrow and shot it at Manik. It went right through his hand, making the throwing knife fall out of his hand. After exchanging intense glares with Sonic as he held his wounded hand, Manik ran off. Everyone else was shocked by the blue blur's speed and accuracy. They've never seen quite anything like that before. Quickly they dropped their attitude of turning him in and made way as he passed them by.

"Thank you, Tails." Sonic said in gratitude, ruffling the young fox's fur.

Then he turned to the outlaws and villagers, bold as brass.

"You wish to end this?" the cerulean speedster asked them.

"Yeah. Sure. Yes." the crowd randomly replied.

"You wish to go home?"

"Sure. Uh-uh. Right."

"Then we must stop fighting amongst ourselves! And face that the price for it may be dear!"

Sonic in a huff, flung his bow to the ground, prompting a few outlaws to dodge it. One of the outlaws meekly picked it up for him. Then Sonic ran back up the fallen tree.

"I for one, would rather die than to spend my life in hiding!" he exclaimed. "The Sheriff calls us outlaws. But I say we are free. And one free man defending his home is more powerful than ten hired soldiers."

Sonic turned towards Shadow, whom all the while was leaning against a tree with his arms folded and silently listening.

"The crusades taught me that." Sonic continued, pointing at his companion. "I will make you no promises to save one, that if you truly believe in your hearts that you are free, then I say we can win."

"But they got armor." Mighty pointed out. The crowd agreed.

"They got armor, Bull?" Sonic asked. Then he turned to Tails. "Even this boy can be taught to find chinks in every suit of armor."

"But we ain't got nothin' to eat!" an elder villager protested which got more agreement from the crowd.

"What do we need that the forest cannot provide?" the blue blur asked again. "We have food, wood for weapons! We'll find safety and solace in her trees."

"Yeah, but what about our kin? Sheriff's taken all they got too!"

The crowd agreed once more as Sonic slowly turned toward them.

"Then by God, we take it back." he declared.


	14. Call off Christmas!

=Chapter 14: Call off Christmas!=

Minutes later, the outlaws and villagers gathered together and began melting steel. A small group poured the hot liquid substance into a mold, making and sharpening arrowheads. Another group took branches and started shaving them of twigs and leaves, making them bodies for arrows. They took the branches and attached the arrowheads to them. A third group gathered bird feathers and split them to sew them to the end of the arrows while one outlaw tested the twine of a bow. After arrows were deemed battle-worthy, they were stacked up for a small trio of females who were placing them in arrow sacks. Along with the bows and arrows, swords were also being forged.

While more weapons were being made, another portion of the camp set up dummies and began practicing archery with Sonic looking on. Their first shots were not promising and the Blue Blur sighed as there was a lot of work to be done. Meanwhile, Shadow was teaching another large group of outlaws the ways of the sword. Another portion of the camp began building houses, huts, tree houses, and tree posts, even raising small bridges to connect them. Shadow's 'sword class' began practicing sword fighting, using sticks as substitutes. Some of the females brought in wild quail that was caught in the forest while other males went to lift more bridges. More bows, arrows, and swords for the outlaws were forged and stacked up by the hour. Meanwhile, the archers were beginning to hit their marks perfectly.

A week later, the outlaws were in action. A wagon carrying a rich elder with his daughter was passing through the forest. When it went over an underground cache covered by dirt and leaves, Tails popped out of it and attached two strong metal hooks on the back of the wagon. Then, two archers sprang out and fired three arrows at the vehicle, prompting the driver to giddy-up his horses. The hooks on the wagon were attached to a thick rope tied to a large tree. As soon as the slack ran out as the vehicle rushed off, the wagon jolted and the driver's seat was forced off by the strength of the horses galloping away. Dragging the poor driver behind them. Then the outlaws popped out and began taking the rich passengers' valuables.

"What's the meaning of this?" the elder cried.

Sonic approached the wagon and began to flirt with the younger female passenger.

"Milady," he said, taking her hand. "a woman of your beauty has no need for such decorations."

The cerulean speedster gallantly kissed her hand and slipped the ring off her finger, prompting the girl to blush and smile shyly. Her father was not pleased however.

"How dare you!" he exclaimed.

Sonic just winked and grinned and went off as the band of outlaws took off with the valuables. Next, a church that was close to the edge of Deerwood Forest, was being mercilessly raided by Snottingham soldiers. One guard started to nail a notice of Sonic while the others began looting the church.

"Please, don't take that!" a monk cried, trying to stop them. "Please! Those belong to our Lord!"

"Well now, they belong to our Lord _Sheriff!_" the soldier leered as he pushed the old monk away.

Suddenly out of nowhere, an arrow struck the notice that was being posted, startling the soldiers. They were confronted by Sonic and Shadow, both of whom were on horseback, and the band of outlaws. The soldiers were outnumbered so they had no choice but to surrender. Knuckles came up and tore the notice off and mockingly showed it to the outlaws who laughed and jeered at it.

"Give it back." the leader of the soldiers commanded.

The guard holding the church's valuables, dropped them to his feet and the monks scrambled to pick them up as they were sacred.

"Good." Sonic declared. "Tell the Sheriff for every harm he does these people, I will visit it back on him tenfold."

XXXXXXX

When word of Sonic and his band of outlaws succeeding in stopping or interfering with the Snottingham soldiers' missions reached the town's castle, Scourge was absolutely ballistic. He went into Mortianna's lair with a small whip, furiously flicking various objects with it and throwing his white cloak off him. The lime hedgehog then went over to the witch's Satanic alter, grabbed a dagger, and angrily stabbed scraps of meat on a large brass platter before throwing the dagger aside. Mortianna just watched in a somewhat calm demeanor and sort of leaned on the crucifix hanging upside down.

"Something vexes thee?" she inquired in a matter-of-fact tone.

Scourge just frustratingly turned away from her in a huff. More notices about Sonic were beginning to pop up in various places. This time, the reward went up to 1000 gold pieces for anyone who would bring in the cyan hedgehog dead or alive. But this did not deter Sonic or his band of outlaws. A rich merchant, accompanied by two soldiers, was traveling through Deerwood Forest. They stopped when the Blue Blur suddenly appeared in the tree before them.

"What the devil?" the merchant cried.

"'Tis a hot day, my friend," Sonic cheerfully declared. "to burden your horse with such a heavy purse."

He used his bow to snatch the merchant's large leather sack of gold and playfully swung it around in front him.

"The Sheriff will hear of this!" the merchant exclaimed.

Sonic and his band laughed as he flung the leather sack towards them. Then he merrily jumped out of the tree.

"I truly hope so!" he cheerfully told the merchant.

The progress the outlaws had made was prosperous. Everything that they took was equally dispensed to the poorer members of their community.

"Buy yourself a new sow!" Julie-Su told a villager as she threw him a sack of gold coins.

"God bless ya, Julie!" he cried. "And God bless Sonic Hood!"

XXXXXXX

Back at the Snottingham Castle, Scourge was having a meeting with his Scribe in a small dining room with a long table. The Scribe was seated in a tiny desk in the corner.

"We reckon he's nicked three to four million in the past five months, sire." he told the lime hedgehog.

"Alright fine, raise the bounty on his head." Scourge replied as he poured himself a goblet of wine. "25,000 crowns!"

"Begging your pardon, sire, it won't do no good how much you raise it."

"Really, Scribe? And why is that?"

"Because, sire, the poor you see, he gives them what he takes. And...well sire...they love him."

Scourge could hardly believe what he was hearing. He rushed towards a corner of the long table that was near the Scribe.

"Just a minute," the lime hedgehog said in a low voice. "Sonic Hood steals money from _my_ pocket, forcing me to _hurt_ the public, and they _love_ him for it?"

The Scribe weakly nodded his head.

"Yes." he nervously replied.

With a scowl, Scourge angrily smacked his goblet towards the mobian snake, causing some of the wine to splash onto his face.

"That's it then!" the dual-scarred hedgehog hissed. "Cancel the kitchen scraps for the lepers and orphan. No more merciful beheadings. AND CALL OFF CHRISTMAS!"

The Scribe shakenly nodded as Scourge stormed into the hall. Then the mobian snake clumsily tailed after him.

"The treasury is empty. All day and night, people plague my door whining for Tax Relief and safe passage through Deerwood Forest." Scourge frustratingly told the Scribe. Then he changed his voice to mimic the people bothering him. "_'We cannot pay thee what the Highway Man has taken.'_"

"It's the shortest route to the capital sire!" the Scribe whined.

"It's the _only_ road to the capital you little ferret."

As they walked through the hall, they passed by the statue of Scourge. Out from the corner of the lime hedgehog's eye, he spotted a mark on the stone imitation of himself. Someone had apparently put a scratch on the statue's muzzle to match Scourge's.

"Sir Jeffery's forces have found nothing, sire!" the Scribe continued.

Scourge grabbed the snake's cap, spit on it, and tried to rub out the graffiti with no success.

"No camp? Nothing?" the lime hedgehog cried. "This hooded viper simply slithers into the forest..."

Then the Sheriff turned to a few females sitting in the corner.

"You, my room. 10:30 tonight." Scourge told one female while pointing at her. Then he turned to the other. "You, 10:45. And bring a friend."

As he walked off, the Scribe childishly stuck out his tongue out at the hedgehog and then hurried off himself.


	15. Good Lord's Brew

=Chapter 15: Good Lord's Brew=

Two heavily armed wagons being part of a convoy led by Jeffry St. Croix, passed through Deerwood Forest. One of the wagons containing barrels of liquor and beer was being driven by a priest. The friar was a mobian walrus named Rotor. The monk was nearly half drunk from a pitcher of beer he was drinking from, and was singing merrily mostly to himself.

_'What's the pleasure of this _

_life? Laughter, love, and _

_drinking. Good King Rob'O _

_bless his soul, loves his wine_

_and warring. But for us who _

_stay at home, there's only_

_beer and whoring. Play your _

_music, dance the day. Think _

_not of tomorrow...'_

Friar Rotor continued to sing his little song, occasionally chuckling to himself, while the guards continued to survey their surroundings with caution. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the convoy, Sonic, Shadow, and the band of outlaws were hidden beneath the foliage, bushes, and shrubs, observing the convoy's every move. Shadow was looking through his telescope with Sonic watching from behind.

"How many?" the blue blur asked in a hushed voice.

"Twenty." Shadow quietly replied.

"_Twenty?_"

"How many?" Mighty asked.

"Five!" Sonic answered.

That prompted an annoyed look from Shadow.

"They can't count anyway." Sonic told the ebony hedgehog. "Why scare them?"

"Come on!" Mighty quietly cried out, motioning Sonic and the other outlaws to come in his direction.

Shadow remained in his spot for a brief second before joining them with even more annoyed look on his face.

"And they call _me_ barbarian..." he muttered to himself.

The convoy continued onwards, retaining their cautiousness, but still unaware of what was happening around them. Friar Rotor continued to sing which was really starting to try the patience of St. Croix. A moment later he finally halted the convoy.

"FRAIR!" St. Croix shouted, catching the walrus' attention. "You'll find t much more difficult to sing with a sword in your gullet."

"Yes, my lord." Friar Rotor quirked before breaking into laughter. "You pig..."

Suddenly, Jeffry and his men's attention were caught by two peasants arguing ahead of them.

"Shut up about it!"

"Help me move this log!"

"Log? This is a tree!"

"You're supposed to help me!"

"I'm supposed to be meeting a girl!"

Then the male peasants noticed that St. Croix and his men back at them. They exchanged glances and started to run off, enticing Jeffry to follow them.

"You men in the front, after me." the skunk ordered. "YOU MEN IN THE REAR, STAY WITH THE WAGON!"

St. Croix took out his sword and then he and one half of the convoy went after the two peasants. Friar Rotor started to blandly cheer them on.

"Onto glory!" he humorously cried, breaking into more laughter.

St. Croix and his men went in full pursuit of the two males they caught. The pair quickly scrambled to their hiding places, which were cleverly disguised mats on the ground. They would cover the two peasants after they removed the sticks holding the mats up. When one peasant seemed to disappear without a trace, Jeffry became extremely frustrated.

"Bastards!" he fumed. "FIND THEM!"

They continued onward towards another direction just as the other peasant hid himself. Back with the wagons, the soldiers were looking around cautiously, waiting for St. Croix and the other half the convoy to return. All was dead quiet, save for Friar Rotor who nearly started to sing again, but stopped when he remembered Jeffry's warning and not wanting to anger the other guards. The only other sounds heard were the neighing of the horses and the tweeting of the birds. Suddenly, the convoy was ambushed. A made up curtain of leaves, fell from a large branch revealing a large number of outlaws who immediately fired their arrows at the soldiers. Two knocked a couple of guards off their horses. Another curtain of leaves fell, revealing more archers who quickly shot their arrows and nailed the remaining guards. A few more outlaws revealed themselves by springing out from underneath hidden mats and startling the horses in the processes. The jerking motion on the wagon they caused, made Friar Rotor finally pass out from drunkenness. Sonic and Shadow quickly took the helm of the green wagon and starting up the horses. While the outlaws scrambled about to collect the bodies, Knuckles took the helm of the wagon with the liquor.

"Welcome to Deerwood, Friar." Knuckles quirked before starting up the horses.

The rest of the outlaws, who lingered behind, quickly hid the bodies of the soldiers beneath the mats and grass before raising the curtain of leaves. Moments later, St. Croix and his men returned to the area only to find the two wagons, the friar, and the rest of their convoy gone without a trace. A lone helmet lying the ground was all that remained. St. Croix growled in sheer fury as he was defeated yet again by Sonic and his band of outlaws.

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile, a little ways from their camp, Sonic and the outlaws stopped at a safe checkpoint to inspect what they stole. The green wagon revealed to be holding chests containing hundreds of gold coins. A small ax was used to break open one chest. The outlaws marveled at their catch.

"Ohhhh!"

"Look at that!"

Sonic and Shadow exchange serious glances.

"This treasure had a purpose." Sonic mused. "We must find out what."

Then the blue blur and the rest of the outlaws were alerted to the sounds coming from the second wagon. It was Friar Rotor, struggling to get up after waking from his stupor. The outlaws started giggle slightly at his attempts. Sonic with a friendly grin, approached him.

"Good evening, my reverend friend." he said suavingly. "You travel with poor company when you travel with Snottingham soldiers."

The outlaws began laughing aloud and shouting to tax the friar. Rotor laughed a little nervously.

"I am Sonic of Locksley." the cerulean hedgehog declared, introducing himself. "And my men are thirsty."

The other outlaws agreed while the walrus stared at Sonic with a shocked and surprised look.

"SONIC HOOD!" he cried with a chuckle. "Ha! Lord bless me! I mistook you for common thieves! Kindly let me pass eh?"

Sonic stopped him by pointing the tip of his bow at him.

"Surely the lord has charity to spare a few barrels for good Christian men yes?" he said. "We have much to celebrate."

Friar Rotor chuckled again slightly nervous but secretly plotting. He did not want to give up his prized liquor so easily.

"If you wish to share in the good Lord's brew.." he cheerfully sneered. Suddenly he kicked Sonic away with such force, that he actually knocked him down. Friar Rotor knocked another outlaw down and quickly started up the horses. When he was a little ways ahead, he turned around in the wagon to speak. "Confess, Sonic Hood. That Friar Rotor is a braver, holier, and wiser man, than thou art!"

The walrus as Sonic was correcting his jaw. Then, a part of the wagon that the walrus was hanging onto broke off, causing him to fall off the wagon. Sonic stormed over to him as Rotor looked pitifully at his now broken pitcher.

"He giveth...and he taketh away.." Friar Rotor muttered to himself.

Sonic, still fixing his jaw around, approached the monk now sitting on the ground.

"Do you yield?" he asked.

Friar Rotor gave a sigh and lifted his hand for Sonic to grab.

"I'd rather roast in hell!" he rasped.

Then the walrus suddenly grabbed Sonic's leg and tried biting. The cyan hedgehog started to thrash about in a panic while the other outlaws rushed to get the monk off of him. Minutes later, they tied Friar Rotor to the wagon with the horse attachments and forced him to pull the wagon all the way to their camp with Sonic at the reins. The outlaws started singing their own folk song on the way.

_'Sonic has his way whether_

_you live by night or day._

_Whether you're rich or_

_young or old, whether you're_

_meek or bold, you will fall,_

_short or tall-'_

Finally, the cerulean speedster decided that the monk had enough punishment.

"I think the good friar has taken us far enough." he quirked as he tugged on the reins, making the walrus stop. "Well done, friar."

"Thank you Lord, for teaching me humility." Friar Rotor murmured to himself.

A tired and exhausted walrus, sat against the wagon after taking the horse holdings off him. Sonic approached himself once more.

"Well, Rotor, are these not the meek of the earth?" he asked, pointing to the villagers. "We need an honest man to minister to them. What say you, Friar?"

Friar Rotor gave an astounded look for chuckling and shaking his head.

"The Lord reveals himself in mysterious ways." he laughed. "I accept!"

"Good. You will not regret it."

"AYE, BUT YOU MAY!"


	16. St Croix Penalized

=Chapter 16: St. Croix Penalized=

In one of the lower chambers of the Snottingham Castle, was the armory. Many blacksmiths brought in by the Sheriff, were making many swords, armor, crossbows, and other weapons. Scourge was fooling around with a sword when Jeffry St. Croix came in with his report. The skunk looked as if he really didn't want to.

"We were ambushed, cousin." he said reluctantly.

Scourge, seemingly not paying attention, showed Jeffry the recently forged weapon.

"Eastern Steel." he said in awe. "Much stronger than our native blades."

Jeffry was sort of hoping that the lime hedgehog would not even bring up or care about the subject. No such luck.

"Ahem, any losses?" Scourge said after clearing himself of his fascination with the weapon in his hand.

"Some." St. Croix mumbled. Then he finally admitted to himself. "In truth, all of them."

"And the gold?"

"Taken."

"Sonic Hood?"

"They _were_ woodsmen, cousin."

But Scourge was not satisfied. He turned to the skunk with a serious and implying look.

"Sonic Hood." he said, answering his own question.

Finally Jeffry started to have a break down.

"I tried..." he croaked. "I tried."

"_Cousin..._" Scourge said, suddenly turning sympathetic.

"I tried, I tried."

The lime green hedgehog went over to give St. Croix a comforting hug as his break down got a little worse. The skunk actually started to cling to Scourge.

"Cousin, we must be strong!" Scourge said as he walked Jeffry a little forward. "We can't allow an outlaw to make fools of us...and I can't allow a lieutenant to fail me."

Then when Jeffry wasn't looking, Scourge took one of the swords that was made off the holder and drove it into the skunk's gut making him gasp and grunt out in shock and pain. The dual scar chested male gave him a look like he should have known better, and carelessly pushed him away. Jeffry wobbled over backwards and collapsed to the ground. The blacksmiths stared in mute horror at what just occurred. Scourge came over and leaned towards the fallen skunk.

"Well, at least I didn't use a spoon." the lime hedgehog cruelly chuckled. Then he turned to the blacksmiths who were watching and held up the sword. "It's good steel."

Scourge casually dropped the sword onto a nearby table and walked out of the armory as a dying Jeffry tried to reach for him.

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile in Deerwood Forest, two scouts for the outlaws, Vector and Mighty, had spotted a pair of travelers in the distance. They had small, leafy branches and twigs tied to themselves as camouflage, and were armed with a bow and arrows.

"Vector!" Mighty called out in a hushed tone.

"What?" Vector replied.

"Take the left one."

"Which one's left?"

Mighty showed him his right hand and Vector nodded.

"Which one you taking?" the crocodile asked.

"What do you mean?" Mighty asked in reply. "If you're taking the left, I'm taking the right!"

The two travelers were getting closer.

"Which one's on the right?" Vector asked.

"The one next to the one on the..." Mighty got lost in his train of thought. "Bollocks! We'll just jump out and grab them."

Vector nodded again.

"Now?" he asked.

"Now!" Mighty said.

Then they sprang out of their hiding places, startling the horses and the two travelers, and aimed their arrows at them. The journeying pair turned out to be Amy and her Lady-in-Waiting, Sonia.

"A donation if you please!" Vector declared.

"Donation?" Amy exclaimed as she tried to settle her horse. "For what?"

A confused Vector turned to his comrade.

"Bull?"

Mighty sighed and whispered in the crocodile's ear."

"Uh, for safe passage through Deerwood!" Vector declared as both he and Mighty continued to aim their arrows at the ladies.

Amy and Sonia gave each other a quick glance.

"Very well." the cherry pink female said cunningly. "Come and get it."

Both Mighty and Vector looked at each other like this had surprising gone better than expected or planned. They lowered their weapons and approached the two ladies. Then Amy suddenly grabbed Vector and whipped out a dagger, pointing it at his neck, while Sonia harshly kicked Mighty in the face.

"You stunted shrub." Amy growled as she held Vector at knifepoint. "How dare you attack us?"

"I-It's me job, milady." Vector rasped.

Mighty turned away and groaned at the crocodile's big mouth.

"And who is your employer?" the sakura hedgehog demanded.

"Sonic Hood." Vector replied.

Amy made a face at the mention of the blue blur's name and let Vector loose. There was a brief moment of silence.

"I insist on seeing him at once." Amy declared.


	17. Glimpse of Sonic

**AN: I know this is short as hell, that's why I uploaded two chappies today. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>=Chapter 17: Glimpse of Sonic=<p>

The two female hedgehogs went down to a secluded lake with a large waterfall. Vector and Mighty argued and shouted at them out of turn and incoherently as they attempted to stop the ladies and make them wait until both the crocodile and armadillo got to their master first. Then, when Amy had gotten a little ahead of them and further down, she froze in place and gasped a little in shock at what she saw swimming naked in the lake below. It was Sonic bathing and breast stroking towards the waterfall. Sonia, Vector, and Mighty were still arguing with each other until they also noticed Sonic. Sonia sort of perked up slightly in interest as Mighty attempted to make her cover her eyes. Amy all the while, was staring lowly at Sonic's bare form in a trance-like gaze as he climbed out of the lake and behind the water fall. Then as the blue blur was putting on his clothes, Mighty shouted out to him, making Amy snap out of her 'trance' and quickly averted her eyes.

"SONIC! YOU GOT VISITORS!"

The small group proceeded to move further down as Sonic trotted up to them. He made a warm smile when he saw Amy.

"Hello." he greeted.

"Well, what are you doing here?" Amy stammered.

"Taking the lady's advice." Sonic replied, motioning towards the lake. He then noticed Mighty. "What happened to your eye, Bull?"

"Uh, it was set upon by ten-"

"Twelve!" Vector interrupted.

"Fifteen large, big lads!" Mighty explained.

"Oh yeah?" Sonia challenged.

Sonic chuckled as he took them all back towards the camp.


	18. Touring the Camp

=Chapter 18: Touring the Camp=

As they approached the camp, Amy stared in awe at Sonic's handiwork. Absorbing the scene, she slowly turned to the cyan hedgehog with an expression of admiration and surprise.

"You've been busy." she rasped.

Sonic chuckles and beamed with pride.

"We have guests!" he shouted at the villagers.

"Bring them down!" Knuckles called out from afar.

Sonic took Amy's hand and led her through the camp. They came to an area where Shadow and a few villagers were working on an invention of the midnight hedgehog's. It was a well-like apparatus which had multiple jugs tied to a rope tugged along and filtering out the water.

"It works." Sonic quirked. "Kind of."

"Of course it works!" Shadow ranted.

They came to another area where a group of outlaws were practicing their archery. Among them were Tails and Knuckle with the kitsune up to shoot next.

"Alright, Wulf." Knuckles said. "Take your time, now."

The young fox took aim and fired. He got a nearly perfect bulls-eye. Everyone cheered at him and Sonic looked impressed.

"That's good Wulf." he said. "But can you do it admist distraction? Can you make the shot when you must?"

The group murmured at his challenge. Tails took out another arrow as did Sonic, while the other outlaws cheered and egged the kitsune on. Amy watched silently as Tails took aim. Sonic then flicked the boy's ear with the feathered part of his own arrow causing the fox to miss the target and hit the neck of the dummy instead. The outlaws groaned at Sonic while Amy gave him a skeptical look.

"Can _you?_" she challenged.

The outlaws impressed with her challenge, then started leering Sonic on to go and prove himself. As he took aim, the men behind him proceeded to make exaggerated coughs, sneezes, and other noises to distract the cerulean hedgehog. Sonic made a chuckle at Amy who gave a look like she was waiting. He took aim again, bearing a serious, concentrating face and shutting out all noise from his mind. Before he made the shot, Amy crept up to him and gently blew in his ear. That caused Sonic's arrow to completely miss the dummy and hit a nearby basket instead. The group laughed merrily as the cherry-pink female looked proud of herself.

"Well done." she quipped with a nod. "Well done!"

Sonic couldn't help but laugh himself.

XXXXXXX

In another part of the camp, Friar Rotor was sort of preaching to a small group of men gathered around him.

"This is grain," he declared, holding a handful of oats from and sack and then slowly dumping them back in. "which any fool can eat. But for which the Lord intended a more divine means of consumption. Let us give praise to our Maker and glory to His bounty by learning about..._beer._"

The priest and his little congregation shared a jolly and heartfelt laugh as Amy and Sonic passed them by. Then the cyan male took her to one of the tree houses being used to store all the gold and treasures that he and his outlaws took. Amy looked at all of this and glared at him.

"Did you bring me here to brag?" she questioned.

There was a short silence as Sonic switched from his humorous demeanor to a serious one.

"This is blood money, Amy." he explained. "It's intended to bribe King Rob'O's enemies to untie against him. We intercepted it."

The sakura hedgehog became shocked and confused.

"But..who would...?"

"Snottingham." Sonic told her.

Amy let out a nervous laugh like he was being ridiculous.

"No, Snottingham would not dare challenge the King." she protested with a skeptical smile.

"No, but the King is not in Mercia to be challenged is he?" Sonic pointed out. "While he's away, he may lose his country."

Amy gave a nod in reply. In truth, she was touched by Sonic's concern for her cousin, the throne, and the welfare of their countrymen and did not know how to react to this, when she had known him as a brat. Sonic grinned again and raised an eyebrow.

"You thought...you thought I was keeping it all didn't you?" he quipped. "Didn't you?"

Amy let out a denying laugh and shook her head. Then the young flower took out the dagger that Scourge had given her from before.

"Well here, a contribution to your cause." she declared holding out the golden weapon for Sonic to take.

"Keep it." Sonic told her.

"No, this dagger would fetch a great price."

"Keep it."

"No, no. It's not dear to me...I mean, it...it's not..oh, I'm saying it wrong."

Amy had gotten lost in her words and she dumped the dagger onto a table next to a chest. Then she gave an awkward curtsy, intending to leave.

"Cheers." Amy stammered before making her exit.

Sonic, who all this time was standing over the treasure with arms folded, took the dagger and observed it.

"How do I get down?" Amy called from outside.

The blue blur placed the dagger in his belt and went to the cherry-pink female's side. He saw that she was attempting to climb the ladder down.

"Wait, wait." he called out. "We don't go that way anymore."

"I'm happy to hear that." she quipped with relief, as the ladder didn't seem sturdy enough.

Instead, the cerulean speedster took her towards a thick rope that was hanging nearby and weighed down with large barrels.

"Grab on." Sonic instructed.

Amy did so, holding onto him for support as he held onto her. He then pushed them off the ledge, making Amy gasp in surprise and the rope lowered them slowly to the ground as their weight pulled it.

"We have a rule here, you know." Sonic said, looking down into Amy's eyes. "Once someone has seen the way to our camp, that person cannot leave. There's too many lives at stake."

"That's why Sonia and I asked to be blindfolded." Amy countered jokingly.

Sonic made another grin.

"Well perhaps, you might join us for dinner tonight." he said.

Amy grinned back.

"Perhaps." she quipped.


	19. Salt of the Earth

=Chapter 19: Salt of the Earth=

That night, all of the outlaws and villagers, along with their friends and family, gathered together with various bonfires and feasting on dinner. Some played musical instruments while others danced to it. In a tent bearing the symbol of the Chaos Force, was Shadow. He was not inclined to join in the festivies and was busy sharpening a dagger. Then, a curious little girl walked up to him. Shadow noticed her and made a little grin, acknowledging her.

"Greetings, little one." he said in a low voice.

"Did God paint you?" the girl asked in a shy tone.

"_Did God paint me?_" Shadow replied back with a small laugh. "For certain."

"Why?"

"Because the Chaos Force admires wondrous variety."

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile up on a parapet and watching the crowd dancing was Sonic and Amy. They had dined alone together and were chattering away.

"How is it that a once arrogant young nobleman has found contentment living rough with the salt of the earth?" Amy curiously asked.

"I've seen knights in armor panic at the first hint of battle, and I've seen the lowliest, unarmed squire pull a spear from his own body to defend a dying horse." Sonic answered thoughtfully. "Nobility is not a birthright. It's defined by one's actions."

There was a brief pause.

"It's interesting to hear you say that." Amy quirked.

"I didn't." Sonic replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "My father did."

There was another silence.

"Did the holy quest erase your hatred of him?" Amy asked in a low voice.

"I don't know." Sonic said an equally low tone. "All I know is that our last words in this world were spoken in anger."

The blue blur made a guilt-ridden face while Amy kept a quiet and open ear.

"I was lost after my mother died." Sonic continued. "My father too. And for a short time, he found comfort in the arms of another woman. A peasant woman. I thought he was betraying my mother's memory."

Amy looked a little aghast.

"So he gave her up?" she implied.

Sonic nodded in admition.

"For the love of a twelve-year-old boy who would never forgive him." he said, shaking his head at his childish actions in the past. "Anyway, who...who says I'm content? I have my plans for the future."

Both he and Amy shared a laugh.

"A grander scheme than this?" Amy asked.

"No, a simpler one." the cerulean speedster replied. "A home, family, love."

Amy continued to laugh.

"Oh, men speak conveniently of love when it serves their purpose." she giggled. "And when it doesn't, 'tis a burden to them. Sonic of the Hood, Prince of Thieves, is he capable of love?"

The two shared intimate glances at each other. Suddenly, Tails came tearing through the crowd in an urgent manner and in search of Knuckles.

"Father!" he called. "_Father!_"

The kitsune found him sitting in a circle around a bonfire. The crowd quieted down when approached the ruby echidna.

"It's mother, she's dying." Tails rasped.

Knuckles' violet eyes widened and he jumped onto his feet.

"Oh God!" he exclaimed.

XXXXXXX

Knuckles, Sonic, Shadow, Amy, and Friar Rotor rushed to a large tent. Julie-Su was on a cot sweating and groaning in pain. She was in labor. But something was wrong. Very wrong. Shadow examined the lavender-pink echidna with a worried Knuckles watching beside him.

"Julie," the midnight hedgehog whispered. "your baby has not turned. It cannot be born without help."

The small group gave dire looks. This meant that the infant in Julie-Su's womb was in breach position. Friar Rotor came forward quickly after Shadow's announcement.

"He is the devil's seed, sent to lead us astray." he ranted. "Don't listen to him, he will kill her!"

Shadow promptly confronted him.

"If you do not listen to me," he lowly hissed. "she will certainly die...and the child."

"_Noo!_" Julie-Su cried in agony. Both Amy and Knuckles tried to comfort her while the sakura hedgehog wiped her forehead with a cloth.

"The good friar's done all he can." Sonic said. "I suggest you let the Black Arms try."

Julie-Su, in desperation, frantically nodded at Knuckles and groaned in pain. Knuckles let out a deep, anxious breath.

"So be it." he rasped.

"Then be it on your head, I've warned you!" Friar Rotor growled, walking away in a huff.

Shadow moved closer towards the panting female echidna.

"Amy." he softly called out.

"Yes?" Amy answered.

"Get me a needle, thread, water, and hurry."

Amy quickly got up.

"Yes." she replied. Then she pulled Knuckles towards the exit of the hut. "Come with me. Come, Knuckles!"

A few seconds later, they were gone. Leaving only Sonic and Shadow with Julie-Su who tried to push out the baby herself.

"What are you going to do?" Sonic asked, pulling the ebony male aside.

"I have seen it many times." Shadow explained. "With horses."

Sonic blinked.

"_With horses?_" he rasped.

They both exchanged serious glances. Amy came running back in with the things Shadow asked for. She also got a piece of bark and went over to the panting echidna female.

"Bite down." Amy instructed, gently placing the bark in Julie-Su's mouth. "Bite down, yes!"

Shadow went over to Julie-Su's side and turned to Sonic again.

"Help me, Sonic." he whispered.

Sonic went over to the midnight hedgehog's side to aide him. Then Shadow faced Julie-Su before beginning his operation.

"It will be alright." he assured her, stroking her forehead.

Meanwhile, outside the hut, both Knuckles and Friar Rotor were waiting. Knuckles was nervously pacing back and forth while Friar Rotor was sitting on the ground in a cross-legged position with his hood over his head.

"I tell you, Knuckles," the walrus harshly whispered. "the barbarian is killing her!"

Knuckles ignored him and retained his faith in Sonic. The cerulean hedgehog had never been wrong about anything since he came to join them. Then he heard Julie-Su scream in pain from within the hut. Tails who was also waiting outside, tried to get into the hut, but Knuckles quickly stopped him by pulling him away.

"No, father, no!" the kitsune cried in protest.

"No, keep away, boy!" Knuckles told him.

Back inside, Shadow had performed a C-section on Julie-Su. Both he and Sonic carefully pulled out the infant echidna, which turned out to be a boy. It cried its first cries as Amy came over with a few blankets to wrap it up with.

"_Oh, what is it?_" she cooed with the baby as it continued to cry.

She and Sonic both let out a light chuckle as the cherry-pink female cleaned the little one. Then she brought him to a tired Julie-Su.

"Your son, milady. There you are." Amy said softly.

The sakura hedgehog carefully placed the now cooing infant in his mother's arms. Julie-Su gave a look of great relief and gratitude at Shadow as he placed his hand on her forehead again. Sonic, with a look of admiration, put a hand on the ebony male's shoulder.

"You truly are a _great one_" the cerulean hedgehog declared.


	20. Do it for you

=Chapter 20:"Do it for you"=

Moments after the miraculous birth had taken place, Knuckles rushed out of the hut with his newborn son in his arms. He raised the infant up high for all to see.

"_MY SON!_" the ruby echidna cried out in pride.

The outlaws and villagers cheered in response. Then Knuckles darted out towards them.

"Look at that lovely little baby." he quipped. "Isn't he wonderful?"

The male members of the camp all went over to congratulate him. Then the villagers began playing music again and dancing in celebration. Shadow came out of the hut as well, wiping his hands on a white cloth. Seconds later, he was approached by a humble Friar Rotor.

"Today, the Lord has taught me a fine lesson." he said. "And though I may think I am godly, I know I am not worldly."

Then the walrus raised his hands toward Shadow in friendship.

"Please, please." the friar pleaded.

The midnight hedgehog, not wanting to be spiteful and acknowledging that the priest had seen the error of his ways, shook the walrus' hands. Friar Rotor gave a jolly laugh.

"Come my barbarian friend," he declared. "shall you and I open a barrel together and save each other's souls?"

"Alas," Shadow replied, shaking his head. "I am not permitted."

"Well, fine, then. You talk, I'll drink."

The chuckling friar put an arm around the crimson-splashed male and they went off into another part of the camp. Amy then came skipping out of the hut, all hyper from excitement. She clapped along with a group of dancing villagers that came parading through the way and laughed when she saw Sonia on the other end. As soon as they were gone, Manik approached the sakura hedgehog with some flowers.

"May I have this dance?" he asked.

"This lady is spoken for." said a voice.

It was Sonic. He took Amy's hand and went off to join the rest of the dancing villagers, leaving a disgruntled Manik behind.

XXXXXXX

The very next morning, Sonic led Amy through a deep part of the forest. Then they came to a river where a row boat was waiting for her and Sonia.

"Why this way?" Amy asked.

"So you cannot find the way back." Sonic explained. "Or be forced to tell others the way."

"Oh."

"It was good to see you again, Amy."

"It was good to be seen."

The pair shared a silent moment of intimate gazes.

"I have two favors to ask of you." Sonic told the cherry-pink female.

Amy let out a giggle.

"One?" she said.

"Take Duncan with you." the blue blur replied. "I fear for his health with what may lie ahead. Besides, I grow tired of his bellyaching."

Mighty brought over the blind hedgehog.

"You wish me to leave, Master Sonic?" Duncan asked.

"Old friend, listen to me." Sonic instructed. "Can you take Lady Amy safely home? I fear for her safety."

"Of course, sire."

"Good. Bull!"

Mighty took the old hedgehog and helped him into the boat. Sonic went up to Amy again.

"And two?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes two," Sonic replied. "you're King Rob'O's cousin. You can get word to him of Snottingham's plan. He would believe you."

Amy made a face.

"If the Sheriff found out," she said in a low voice. "I could lose all that I have."

"That's true." Sonic agreed. "But will you do it for your king?"

Amy raised an eyebrow at him.

"No." she replied. Then she smiled. "I'll do it for you."

Then, the sakura hedgehog gave him a quick peck on the lips and hurried off into the boat along with Sonia. She sat next to Duncan and exchanged intimate stares with Sonic as the small vessel took off.

"He fancies you, my lady." Duncan quipped to the cherry-pink female, making her blush a little. "I am blind, but there are things I can still see."

Amy and Sonic continued to gaze at each other until the morning fog on the river both put them out of sight.

XXXXXXX

Back at Snottingham Castle, Scourge was again in Mortianna's lair, lamenting his current situation.

"In ten days' time, the Barons are coming." the lime hedgehog said. "Sonic Hood has stolen what I was to pay for their allegiance and I am surrounded by fools who do not realize my obligations. Tell me Mortianna, am I thwarted?"

The albino echidna let out a groan and tossed aside two pieces of bread that were on a plate. She then took her arm and sliced it open with her talon, letting her blood spill on the dish, and spat on it. Mortianna spread the blood and saliva on the plate while Scourge watched.

"Recruit the beasts that share our God." Mortianna hacked.

Scourge gave a confused expression.

"Animals?" he inquired.

"From the North." Mortianna specified.

Then the lime hedgehog made a face.

"You mean Overlanders?" he replied, disgusted. "They drink the blood of their dead."

"Yoke their strengths." Mortianna told him.

Scourge then made an expression like he had suddenly discovered the missing link in his plans.

"Hired thugs." he leered gleefully. "Brilliant."

He grinned at the witch while folding his arms. Then, Mortianna looked down and suddenly noticed something on the plate. She took her talon and made a zigzag on the dish.

"Put thine own issue on the throne." she mused.

Scourge became confused again.

"A child? How?" he asked.

"Ally with royal blood." Mortianna told him, giving direct eye contact.

Then, Scourge became _very_ interested. He leaned forward at the ancient female.

"_Who?_" he demanded.

XXXXXXX

When she returned to her manor, Amy went straight away at writing a letter to her cousin, Rob'O. When she was finished, she took a small stick of red wax, and heated it at an open candle flame. She pressed the liquid wax down on the rolled up document and sealed it with a metal seal stamp bearing her symbol. She and Sonia went to the Bishop of Hereford shortly thereafter.

"It's a personal matter, my lord." Amy told him. "But one of vital importance."

The cherry-pink female handed the letter to the old owl.

"I understand, my dear lady." the Bishop replied. He turned around and motioned a Page to come forward. "This is my most trusted emissary."

"He must travel to Knothole immediately." Amy said. "And put that directly into the hands of the King." Then she turned to the Page. "My Lady-in-Waiting shall accompany you."

The Bishop suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"My dear, I could not vouch for her safety." he told the sakura hedgehog. "The journey is fraught with danger."

"I appreciate your concern, my lord." Amy replied. "But Sonia is an accomplished rider and I insist that she go along."

The Bishop still looked uncomfortable.

"As you wish." he said.


	21. Amy Abducted

=Chapter 21: Amy Abducted=

Both Sonia and the Bishop's emissary set off for Knothole on horseback. Then the emissary, who got a little ahead of Sonia, suddenly stopped. Sonia caught up with him and saw him looking over his horse.

"What is wrong?" she asked.

"My horse is favoring his foreleg." the emissary replied with a shifty expression.

Sonia gave him a skeptical look and leaned over to look at the horse's leg. Then, the emissary pulled out a small club and hit the magenta hedgehog in the back of the head with such force, it knocked her out cold. Making her fall off her horse.

XXXXXXX

Back at her manor, Amy was sewing together a tapestry and humming a lively tune to herself. Suddenly, her ear twitched to the sound of glass breaking, disturbing the silence and making her freeze. Cautiously, she took a candle holder and a dagger as she got up from her seat.

"Duncan, is that you?" the sakura hedgehog called out as she slowly moved about the room. "Hello? Rebecca?"

Suddenly, a grey cat popped out and gave a loud screech at Amy, making her jump and cry out. While Amy was gathering her wits and catching her breath, the cat ran off.

"Oh god..." she rasped. "Nicodemus..go find mice!"

Just as the cherry-pink female was regaining her composure, a guard from Snottingham Castle sprang up from behind and grabbed her. Amy let out a shriek and struggled across the room to get out of his hold. The guard pinned her to a nearby table and held her at knife point.

"I've never seen the breasts of a noblewoman..." he crudely quipped.

Amy grabbed a handful of soot from a bowl and threw it in the guard's eyes, making him scream in recoil. Then Amy rushed to the fireplace, grabbed an iron rotisserie lance that was cooking a chicken, and stabbed the guard with it. Suddenly, more guards came and poured into the room. Amy slowly lowered the lance with a look of shock, disbelief and fear on her face.

"Oh pardon, milady! We couldn't hold them!" cried a servant that was being dragged along.

The leader of the soldiers came forward with a sadistic look.

"Someone wants a word with _you_." he sneered.

Minutes later, the whole brigade raided the entire manor and taking it residents prisoner, including Amy who was screaming and trying to get away. One person who managed to evade the soldiers, was Duncan. He hid near the stable and quickly fumbled over to a horse, frantically feeling around for the halter leash.

"Easy, easy." he quietly told the horse. "Tonight, I need your eyes old friend."

The blind hedgehog carefully mounted the horse and took off. Just as he left however, three more of the Sheriff's men who remained behind, followed him.

XXXXXXX

Duncan traveled on his horse to get back to the outlaw camp all night long.

Finally, he entered Deerwood Forest and continued onward until an outlaw scout saw him and shot an arrow to the ground to alert the camp. Sonic, Shadow, Knuckles, and the others raced the scout's position to see what was causing the disturbance.

"All is well!" the scout shouted. "It's Duncan!"

Sonic raced forward to the horse that carried the blinded hedgehog. When he and Shadow got to him, he was about ready to fall off his horse. Both the blue blur and the midnight hedgehog helped the elder down and placed him on the ground. Duncan looked as if was nearly beaten to a pulp.

"Duncan, you're going to be alright." Sonic assured his blind servant. "What happened?"

"I...found you, Sonic." the blind hedgehog wheezed. "Thank god, I did it. Snottingham's men attacked us."

"Amy..?"

"They took her.."

Both Shadow and Sonic shared dire looks as Duncan dropped his head with a groan.


	22. Overlander Hordes

=Chapter 22: Overlander Hordes=

Suddenly, more arrows were being shot to the ground from above, alerting the camp again.

"What is it?" Knuckles asked.

"Over there, look!" the scout cried. "On the hill!"

Sonic and Shadow, along with the other outlaws rushed forward and heard shouts and yells coming from the distance ahead of them. Shadow looked through his telescope as countless figures emerged from the fog. They were Overlanders. Humanoid beings that the mobians also had conflict with. They had war paint on their faces and were clad in animal fur. This army was all armed to the teeth with swords, clubs, and shields. Joining them was another army made up of Snottingham soldiers. The chieftain of the Overlanders and Scourge stood side-by-side on horseback. Shadow, with his face filled with dread, slowly lowered his telescope.

"Tikal be merciful.." he rasped.

"TO THE TREES!" Mighty quickly shouted. "TO THE TREES!"

The outlaws and villagers all rushed towards the tree houses while Manik shook his head in disdain.

"Poor old fool led them straight to us." he muttered.

The Overlanders were still shouting their war cries at the top of the hill.

"Get me prisoners!" Scourge told the Overlander Chieftain.

The Chieftain rallied his warriors and they all rushed towards the camp ready to fight while Scourge watched in anticipation. Meanwhile, the outlaw camp scrambled about to engage them. Friar Rotor quickly took charge of the camp's much younger members.

"Children!" he cried out. "Come to me!"

Sonic rushed forward into the battlefield with his bow and arrows. In one sitting he knelt down on the ground and nailed two Overlanders. The outlaws and villagers continued to quickly get the women and children to safety as the Overlanders continued to their invasion. Sonic fired one more arrow and nailed another warrior before retreating with the other outlaws for more ammo. As the Overlanders poured into the camp, Knuckles in a split second, threw Tails onto a hut roof, and began battling an oncoming warrior. The villagers, who made it to the tree tops, started pulling in the ladders so that the Overlanders couldn't use them. Archers safely atop, fired arrows at them. Tails had found a spare bow and arrow on the roof and nailed one warrior. Another tried to climb a ladder, but a female squirrel from the top cut it down before he could reach her. Sonic continued firing away at them and successfully nailing more warriors. Then the Chieftain on his horse, came galloping through the camp and knocking away outlaws with his huge club. Knuckles darted forward with a club himself and knocked him off his horse. An outlaw swung on a rope and knocked an Overlander off his horse as well, Shadow unsheathed his sword and began tearing away at random warriors. Sonic swung on a rope and knocked over one warrior off his horse and another with his bow. Mighty, who already got hit in the face and was bleeding, slew overlander with two swords in both hands. Shadow continued tearing away at Overlanders. Two archers rescued a female villager from being attacked by an Overlander, putting two arrows in him. Manik, who got on a perch, knocked over a ladder as one Overlander tried to climb it. Sonic and a group of archers fired their arrows at the Overlander army, killing many more. Overwhelmed, the enemy finally retreated. The villagers and the outlaws cheered at their victory as they ran off. Scourge wasn't disappointed though. He had another surprise for the outlaws.


	23. Blazing Assault

=Chapter 23: Blazing Assault=

Just as victory for the outlaws seemed assured, and as Sonic, Shadow and Knuckles were climbing onto a tree house, a whole legion of Snottingham's soldiers took aim with flaming arrows and ready to fire. Sonic and the outlaws looked on with horror.

"My God..." Sonic rasped.

They fired their arrows at all the buildings and houses which instantly caught fire. Next, the soldiers were shooting flaming boulders on catapults as the outlaws and villagers scrambled about to safe positions. Some were killed, houses were blown to bits, and bridges were destroyed. Now, it was every man for himself. Shadow and Sonic continued to urge everyone towards a deeper part of the forest where it was safer. Mighty quickly came up to Sonic.

"We better go, Sonic." he told the cyan hedgehog. "We better go now!"

Mighty and Shadow continued to pull others to safety as others began to flee. Then soldiers began to invade the burning camp. Shadow starting slicing them up with his large sword as Friar Rotor with a large group of frightened children clinging to his side passed by.

"This way, my lambs." he said, urging them along out of harm's way. "Come on!"

Manik was engaging in hand-to-hand combat until he was surround by soldiers and was forced to surrender himself. Sonic began tossing all the treasure he and the outlaws had stolen and collected onto the ground below to deter the soldiers and the surviving Overlanders. Meanwhile, Julie-Su had gotten trapped on a ledge of a tree house with her days old son. Knuckles saw her in distress and quickly rushed to help her. He went up onto a tree house ledge which was across from his mate's position.

"Julie!" he called out.

Then the ruby echidna saw the true nature of her ordeal and it did not look good. The bridge connecting them was aflame.

"Knuckles!" Julie-Su called back.

"Come on!" Knuckles shouted, waving to the lavender echidna.

Julie-Su attempted to cross, but didn't trust the durability of the bridge. Knuckles then resolved to cross and grab her himself. But two steps ahead, the bridge gave way under the flames and the male echidna's weight, causing it to snap and fall from Julie-Su's end. Knuckles almost fell with it, making his mate scream in terror of him getting seriously hurt or killed. But he managed to hold onto the fallen bridge and climb back up to the ledge he was previously standing on. Julie-Su sighed in relief to see him unharmed, then dodged from flaming arrows being shot their direction.

"Julie!" Knuckles shouted.

"Go! Save yourself, Knuckles." Julie-Su insisted, realizing that doom was iminate.

"No, Julie! I won't leave you!"

"Go on, Knuckles!"

"NEVER!"

Then, Sonic had heard them and saw the trouble that female echidna was in. He saw a rope and dashed forward to jump on and grab it. The blue blur swung all the way to Julie-Su who gasped in surprise and gained an anxious look from Knuckles.

"Oh thank God." Julie-Su rasped as Sonic quickly wrapped the rope around her.

"Knuckles! You'll have to catch her!" Sonic called out.

"Come on!" Knuckles called back, raising his arms towards them.

Sonic then pushed Julie-Su off the ledge with her clinging to the rope and her infant with death-like grip and crying out as she swung from one post to the next. Then she extended her arm out for Knuckles to reach it and he caught her. One soldier from bellow saw them and attempted to shoot an arrow at the already weak rope and the female echidna down, but was shot in the back by Tails. The kitsune tried to make a getaway but was caught and taken away by another soldier. Meanwhile, Knuckles with Julie-Su safely with him, quickly tied a thick branch to the rope and swung it back towards Sonic so that he could come over there as well. But there was a problem. Part of the rope was on fire, and Snottingham's men were shooting more flaming arrows making things worse. Sonic, Knuckles, and Julie-Su had to duck in order to miss the arrows. The echidnas simultaneously urged the cerulean speedster to come across.

"Come on!" Knuckles called out.

"Go on!" Sonic loudly told them, waving his arm.

"Come on, Sonic!"

"GO! Don't wait for me, hurry!"

Knuckles then took his mate and their son and carefully crossed another bridge that was untouched by the arrows or the flames. Sonic readied himself and attempted to swing to the other side. But the rope finally snapped in two from the flames and the hedgehog's weight, causing him to fall into the grey haze bellow with his father's medallion falling into a partially flaming pit of hay.


	24. End What's Started

=Chapter 24: End What's Started=

Back at Snottingham Castle at nightfall and inside the chapel, Amy was there on a kneeler with two guards watching. She was taking the holy sacraments from the Bishop of Hereford who was also there and sort of chaperoning her.

"Corpus Christi." he said.

"Amen." Amy quietly replied.

After taking the sacraments, she made the sign of the cross. Then, Scourge came into the chapel and knelt beside her, also making the sign if the cross. The sakura hedgehog scooted uncomfortably away from him.

"My Lady Amy." Scourge greeted.

"By what right do you keep me prisoner here?" Amy demanded.

"You misunderstand my intentions. You've been brought here for your own protection."

There was a silence as Amy became greatly confused.

"Protection from whom?" she asked.

"From yourself." Scourge simply replied, to which Amy gave and even more confused look. "It seems you've been consorting with outlaws."

"No." Amy denied with a nervous scoff. "Where do you hear such lies?"

Then Scourge whipped out a scroll and showed it to the cherry-pink female.

"By your own hand, milady." he said.

Amy froze. It was the letter she had written to her cousin and tried to have delivered to him. She shot a look of disbelief at the Bishop and felt sorely betrayed. She thought she could trust him. The Bishop meanwhile, gave an expression of slight guilt.

"I'm sorry, my child." he said lowly. "I feared you were being led astray."

Amy dropped her head, feeling very upset by this. She had to wonder what had happened to her lady-in-waiting, Sonia.

"Come." Scourge told her softly.

He pulled the very reluctant sakura hedgehog outdoors to a balcony post with the Bishop following them. There, Amy looked in shock and horror as prisoners of the outlaw camp were being brought to the castle.

"It's over." Scourge said. "Today, I return justice to this land. I shall have to hang the ringleaders, but I would like to be generous and give you the lives of all the woodsmen and their families."

The lime hedgehog looked down at a guard controlling a group of small children and motioned him to come up with them.

"The children!" he ordered at the guard. Then he turned back to Amy. "And of course, your traitorous Lady-in-Waiting, as a wedding gift."

Amy, after seeing Sonia among the prisoners, slowly turned to Scourge with even more confusion.

"And just who am I supposed to marry?" she demanded.

Scourge slowly lowered his head a little and leaned away for the Bishop to properly explain. Unfortunately, Amy got the gist before the priest had a chance to say a word and was thoroughly horrified.

"Search your heart, my child." the Bishop said, approaching the cherry-pink female as she closed her eyes and turned her face away in disgust. "Why not a union with the House of Snottingham and heal the wounds in our land?"

Now Amy felt very furious and trapped and the same time. Scourge was corrupting his position and the Bishop was either blind or too stupid to see it. To make matters worse, the both of them were forcing her into a marriage that she certainly did not want at all. However she still had a glimmer of hope in her mind.

"There's only one man who can heal the wounds of this land." Amy proclaimed with a shaky but passionate voice. "Sonic Hood!"

Both the Bishop and Scourge exchanged pitiful looks. Then with a sigh, Scourge approached a visibly upset Amy and presented her with a trinket recovered from the battle. It was Sonic's medallion.

"I'm truly sorry, milady." Scourge said. "He wasted his life." Amy, almost breaking into tears, ran away from him as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "How many more lives would _you_ waste?"

Amy ran back inside but stopped when she saw the guard from bellow bring up the children captured in the assault. Scourge and the Bishop joined her shortly thereafter and the emerald male saw how more upset she was getting at the sight of small children being forced up the stairs.

"What a beautiful child." Scourge cooed as he approached one girl in the group. "So young, so alive, so unaware of how precarious life can be." Then he knelt down at her level. "I had a very sad childhood. I'll tell you about it sometime. I never knew my parents. It's amazing I'm sane."

Afterwards, the lime hedgehog approached a disgusted Amy.

"Amy, our bonding would allow these children to grow up as my allies." Scourge told her. "You understand, I cannot allow them to group as my enemies."

Amy was absolutely horrified. What Scourge was telling her was that if she didn't marry him, he would kill the children and possibly many more innocent lives.

"I have no choice..." she rasped.

"That's true." Scourge nonchalantly.

Then the emerald male walked away from her as she looked down on the medallion in her hand. Finally, the sakura hedgehog could stand it no more. Amy ran off into the hall sobbing hysterically.

"Nooo..._Nooooo!_"

XXXXXXX

Back at the camp, everything was nearly destroyed. Emerging cautiously from hiding spots were outlaws that managed to survive and remain uncaptured. Among them were Shadow, Knuckles, Mighty, and Friar Rotor, surveying the damage done and looking for other survivors. Then Shadow happened to look up and see something in the moonlit fog.

"Look." he rasped out. "...Christian."

Emerging from the fog and slowly approaching the small group in a stagger-like walk was the shade of Sonic.


	25. Sheriff's Proposal

=Chapter 25: Sheriff's Proposal=

The day after, Scourge went into the dungeons of his castle. Many prisoners that were captured at the camp were chained and held there. Among them was Manik and Tails with the hedgehog hanging upside down and the kitsune shackled in the corner. When the Sheriff entered the room, all the prisoners shouted obscenities at him.

"Shut up!" the lime hedgehog yelled. "Now, I have heard that Sonic Hood may still be alive. Either tell me where he may be hiding, or you'll all be hanged."

No one answered, making Scourge a little irritated.

"And we'll catch him anyway!" he shouted into a prisoner's face.

"I'd love to kill him for you." Manik suddenly said.

"Manik, no!" Tails cried.

Scourge ran up to the pine green hedgehog hanging upside down.

"So he _is_ alive then?" he questioned.

"I'm not really sure." Manik replied.

"Then why would I need you?"

"Because my lord, if he is alive, I can get close to him. I'm one of his men. He'd never suspect me."

"He knows you always hated him, traitor!" Tails cried abruptly.

Both Manik and Scourge glared at him.

"SHUT UP!" they both shouted.

Then the two turned back to each other.

"He's a trusting fool." Manik continued. "He'll believe me. And if he doesn't believe me, he'll kill me."

Scourge narrowed his eyes at him and turned his head so he could look at Manik's face right side up.

"If you fail," the lime hedgehog warned. "I will personally remove your lying tongue."

Tails looked up at the ceiling in despair.

XXXXXXX

That night, the gallows were being prepared for the execution that was to take place the next afternoon.


	26. Manik's Bargain

**AN: I just realized that my DVD copy of this movie has all the scenes and their titles screwed up xP So in future chapters, I'll try to fix that :D**

* * *

><p>=Chapter 26: Manik's Bargain=<p>

The next day, Friar Rotor was busy erecting graves for the fallen, while everyone else was picking up the pieces of the aftermath that followed the battle. Sonic, who was helping the monk, saw Shadow solemnly walk over to him with the limp form of Duncan over his shoulders. The ebony hedgehog carefully knelt down and lowered the elder to the ground. Poor Duncan had perished during the battle. Sonic looked on him full of regret and remorse.

"My pride brought us to this." the blue blur murmured lowly.

"No, Sonic." Shadow replied. "It was _you_ who gave pride to these people."

"I was a fool. I was a fool to let him leave...to believe I'd planned it all so perfectly."

Shadow quietly watched as Sonic wrapped Duncan's body in a black fabric.

"I once heard a wise man say, there are no perfect men in this world." the ebony hedgehog said. "Only perfect intentions."

The two exchanged meaningful glances.

"You were an honor to your countrymen today, Shadow." Sonic said. "You fought better than 20 Mercian knights."

Shadow grinned in appreciation as Sonic pulled the fabric over Duncan's face. Then, wobbling out from the morning fog into the remains of the camp, was Manic. Sonic splashed water on his face before he finally noticed him.

"Manik!" the cyan speedster called out. "I thought you were taken."

"I was." Manik replied.

"How did you escape?"

"_**TRAITOR!**_"

Knuckles had also caught sight of Manik and stormed over to him full of rage.

"I'll wring your scrawny neck for you, Manik!" the ruby echidna shouted as he grabbed the pine green hedgehog and began wrestling him to the ground. "No one escapes the Sheriff! Not unless he's lining his bloody pockets!"

Finally, Knuckles had the squirming hedgehog on the ground. The others rushed forward trying to him off poor Manik.

"Wait, Knuckles!" Julie-Su cried.

"Let him betray us?" Knuckles shouted. "I'll have your guts for garters, you little toad!"

As he was threatening Manik, the forest colored male's tunic came partially off and revealed that he received many harsh lashes. Everyone revolted at the sight, even Knuckles.

"Bugger me." the ruby echidna rasped.

"Dear God." Julie-Su murmured.

"Let him speak." Sonic declared.

Manik slowly and painfully got to his feet.

"I bring a message," he said. "from Snottingham. Our men are to be hung in the square at high noon tomorrow."

"What about my boy?" Julie-Su asked intently.

"The boy too. Ten men in all."

The female echidna turned away in dread and distraught into Knuckles' arms.

"The hangings are to be part of the celebration for the Sheriff's marriage." Manik continued.

"Marriage?" Mighty asked. "To whom?"

"Lady Amy."

Everyone exchanged serious and horrified glances.

"If he takes a bride of royal blood..." Friar Rotor said.

"Aye," Knuckles agreed. "and with King Rob'O gone, he'll be after the bloody throne."

Sonic approached Manik.

"You were to use this news to get close to me." Sonic deduced. "And then kill me, right, Manik?"

Manik scoffed.

"What are your intentions?" Sonic asked.

"That depends of you, Locksley." Manik replied. "I've never trusted you, that's no secret. What I want to know is, if you're going to finish what you've started. I want to know if he's going to turn and run like the spoiled rich boy I always took him for."

Sonic shook his head in confusion.

"Did I wrong you in another life, Manik?" he asked. "Where does this intolerable hatred for me come from?"

Manik turned his head away for a moment. When he faced the cerulean hedgehog again, tears were welling up in his eyes.

"From knowing that our..._our father loved you more than me!_" Manik cried in rage.

Sonic became even more confused as the others stared in surprise.

"Our father?" he asked with wide eyes.

"We are brothers, Sonic of Locksley!" Manik told him. "I am the son of the woman who replaced your dead mother for a time! It was your anger that drove them apart!"

In a fit of anger that Manik had the gall to bring up his mother, Sonic shoved him backwards.

"It's a lie!" the blue blur cried in disbelief.

"IT'S NOT A LIE!" Manik shouted. "YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"

There was a silence as Sonic deeply thought about Manik's claims.

"I have more reason to hate you than anyone." the pine green hedgehog hissed. "But I found myself daring to believe in you. What I want to know, brother, is will you stay with us and finish what you've started?"

Sonic, after hearing everything that Manik had to say, believed every word.

"I have a brother..?" he murmured to himself. "...I have a brother."

The cerulean speedster wrapped an upset Manik in his arms. Embracing him as his brother.

"I will make my stand with you." Sonic valiantly told him. "Side by side, to the end."

There was a brief silence among them.

"To the end!" Mighty exclaimed.

"We're all bloody in." Knuckles added. "Daft buggers!"

Both Sonic and Manik finally exchanged accepting smirks.

"We finish this!" Sonic declared.


	27. Battle Positions

=Chapter 27: Battle Positions=

A half hour later, Friar Rotor was sitting with Shadow as he grinded a powder in a bowl. Then the ebony hedgehog threw some of the powder into the small fire pit next to him. The powder combusted, shocking Friar Rotor and making him fall backwards.

"Truly you are a wizard!" the monk rasped in awe.

"The mystery is in the black powder." Shadow said with a small grin, as he continued to mix the powder.

"Surely, the Lord will grant us victory."

Meanwhile, Sonic, Manik, Mighty, and Knuckles gathered around a pile of cut up thick branches put together to resemble the square of Snottingham Castle.

"Mighty." Sonic called out.

"Yeah?" Mighty replied.

"Position by the gate to cut off reinforcements. Knuckles sit on this wall to protect our escape. I will conceal myself here bellow the scaffold to cut our men loose from their nooses at the signal."

"No I'll do that." Manik protested. "You cover us with your bow."

"It's too dangerous, Manik." the cerulean hedgehog told him.

"So is your aim."

The small group shared a laugh. Then there was another explosion from where Shadow was testing his black powder with Friar Rotor letting out a cheering laugh.

"Whatever Shadow is concocting," Sonic continued. "we must each be in place for it. Our success depends on total concert. We may be only six men..."

"Seven." Julie-Su interrupted, coming towards them.

"What the blazes are you doing, woman?" Knuckles demanded. "Where's the little ones?"

"Safe with me mother."

"You gone bleeding cracked, girl? You'd get hurt."

"I've given birth to eight babies. Don't you talk to me about getting hurt, you big ox! Anyway, I'm not just going to sit here and let one of them die am I?"

"You should be bloody well minding the other seven. Tell her, Sonic."

The blue blur gave a grin and pointed his dagger on a position on the model.

"Julie-Su, you will take position here."

XXXXXXX

A large crowd gathered into the square of Castle Snottingham. The other visitors coming from residence outside the castle were forced by guards to leave behind their weapons before entering.

"No blades, no bows, leave your weapons here." said a guard to every person that entered the castle grounds, making them throw their swords, arrows and bows into a pile.

Then a carriage being driven by Friar Rotor with Shadow wrapped up in white fabric to disguise himself sitting beside him, and with a cargo of barrels was stopped by the guard.

"What have you got there, Father?" the guard asked.

"Oh, the Lord's finest brew!" Friar Rotor cheerfully replied. "For the good Sheriff's fighting men. It has a mighty kick, huh?"

The guard gave the walrus a somewhat suspicious look but allowed him to proceed into the castle. Julie-Su went up a wall where Sonic had told her to take position. Mighty came in covered with furs and masquerading as an Overlander. While Scourge had allowed Overlanders on castle grounds as guests, mobians were quick to avoid the armadillo. Knuckles was walking outside along the wall, carrying a large bundle of sticks with weapons hidden inside. Julie-Su quickly threw a rope out at him.

"Psst! Knuckles!" the female echidna called out.

Knuckles quickly went over towards her and set down his bundle. Then using the rope, Julie-Su pulled the bundle up onto the wall with her. Knuckles meanwhile leaned on the wall casually until his mate called him up and threw the rope down for him. Sonic had easily gained access into the castle disguised as a beggar. Meanwhile, Friar Rotor and Shadow were at the scaffold placing a barrel full of the ebony hedgehog's black powder.

"Careful, Friar." Shadow softly warned.

Then a suspicious guard saw them and confronted them.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Ah, distributing librations for the celebration of the Sheriff's nuptials." Friar Rotor quickly told him. "Why? Is there something amiss?"

"You are. Go on, get this stuff out of here!"

"Caesar has spoken, my leprous friend. We shall collect our offerings and depart. Say, is this your finger?"

The guard gave a look of horror as the monk talked to Shadow.

"Leper? What?" he cried. "Go on, get this stuff out of here!"

"Leaving bits and pieces of himself all over Mercia." Friar Rotor chuckled.

As the duo took their leave, the guard kept stroking himself in fear of catching the deadly disease that the priest implied Shadow to have. Back with Julie-Su, she sat on the wall with two swords in her hands. Then she casually dropped them to the ground like nothing where Mighty and Manik simply picked them up as they passed by. Another guard came over to the lavender echidna.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I ain't doing no harm, dearie." Julie-Su replied sweetly. "I likes a good hangin', I do."

Behind them, Knuckles had come up the wall and set down on his feet.

"What's in this bundle?" the guard asked again.

"Oh firewood." Julie-Su replied with a nod.

Then suddenly, Knuckles grabbed the guard and threw him off on the other side of the wall.

"Hello, my lover." Julie-Su said to the ruby echidna with a sweet grin.

Shadow continued placing barrels of his black powder at various points of interest in the square before taking his sword that was wrapped in leather and went towards his position. Friar Rotor took out a staff and went among the crowd gathering around the scaffold.

"Make way for the Lord's work! No fighting here!" he bellowed at the rowdy crowd to keep them from rioting. "Make way for the Lord's work! A simple benediction for these poor basterds here who are about to stretch. God receive them in thy mercy!"

As the walrus continued preaching aloud as a total act, the team was in position. Mighty at the gate, Julie-Su and Knuckles at one point of the wall, Shadow at another point, and Friar Rotor and Manik among the crowd. A small boy going around pick-pocketing went over to Manik and gasped when he saw that he had a concealed weapon.

"Hey! Nothing but trouble there, boy." Manik softly hissed when he noticed the boy.

The pine hedgehog pushed the little one away with a small swat. Then a trumpeting fanfare began signaling the Sheriff's appearance from above on a balcony overlooking the square and the gallows. He was all decked out in fancy black attire. Accompanying him were the local barons. Scourge extended his hand out to an approaching Amy who was in white and silver attire. The sakura hedgehog had an unnerved persona being around Scourge. Then the emerald male noticed she was wearing Sonic's medallion and held it after picking it up.

"That's a little inappropriate, don't you think?" he said in an annoyed tone.

Amy snatched from his hand with a mix of a dreadful and dead pan expression.

"No more than your wedding present." she quietly snapped.

Scourge decided to let her have her way and turned to his guard bellow.

"Bring them out!" he ordered.

The soldiers banged their drums as the prisoners came out one by one. The crowd threw random things at them and calling them thieves. Both Knuckles and Julie-Su tensed up as they searched frantically among the parade for their adopted son. Meanwhile, Shadow slid out of the sheets that he was hidden in as he took his position. Each of the prisoners was led to the gallows and a noose was placed around their necks. The crowd was eager to get at them but Friar Rotor, still putting on an act, told them to have patience. Then Sonic quickly went up to the wall where Knuckles and Julie-Su were posted to collect weapons from them. Sonic also took a thick wooden staff from them that had hidden arrows inside. He quickly took position as he thrusted the hidden arrows out of the staff. Then down below, Tails was pushed out of the castle and towards the gallows. A nervous Julie-Su crossed herself as she saw the kitsune come out. Suddenly, Tails spotted Manik among the crowd and went after him.

"TRAITOR! TRAITOR!" he cried.

The twined-tailed fox pummeled the hedgehog to the ground while the soldiers scrambled to maintain order. Sonic and the rest of his team tensed up because one of their key members was getting too much attention. Scourge immediately saw the disturbance.

"What's going on?" he called out.

The soldiers managed to seize both Tails and Manik, pulling them apart and looked to the lime hedgehog for orders.

"Bring him here!" Scourge ordered.

Then the guards dragged the protesting Manik towards the balcony where Scourge was standing at the balcony. They unhooded him and revealed him to the Sheriff. Amy gave a look at him while Scourge raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, the turncoat." the emerald male mused nonchalantly. "Did you succeed?"

"Well, I-I found his lair," Manik stammeredly replied. "but uh, he was already dead."

Amy turned her face away in dread.

"You sure?" Scourge asked. "You saw Hood's body?"

"No..." Manik replied. "I...I saw a g-grave."

"We found this on him." a guard holding the pine green hedgehog said, holding up a sword.

Scourge raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment.

"String him up with the others." he declared.

The crowd cheered amidst a protesting Manik. Other members of Sonic's sting operation gave a look of panic at the blue blur. Meanwhile Tails was dragged up towards the gallows while Manik was forcibly carried there. Friar Rotor also began to panic and frantically searched around for Sonic. While the executioner was putting a noose around Tails' neck, Vector-who was among the prisoners-attempted to stop him.

"Leave him! He's only a boy!" he cried.

"Shut up!" the executioner spat, hitting him.

As soon as he left, Vector turned to the kitsune.

"You alright?" he asked.

Tails gave a feeble nod. Knuckles along with Julie-Su, were getting increasingly anxious.

"Now, Sonic?" the crimson male called out.

Sonic quickly signaled Shadow to shoot a flaming arrow at the barrel placed by the scaffold. However, the executioner tried finding another noose for Manik but couldn't find one.

"My Lord!" Manik quickly cried out. "It appears there's no more room. I'm afraid I'll have to respectfully decline."

The executioner quickly grabbed the barrel that Shadow planted and forced Manik onto it.

"Come on you, down!" he shouted.

The team exchanged nervous glances again. With Manik being tied to the barrel, Shadow could not ignite the black powder without killing him in the process.

"There's always room for one more!" the executioner sneered at the pine hedgehog.

Sonic let out a sigh of frustration while Shadow quickly blew out the flaming arrow. Now what would they do?


	28. Cheat the Hangman

=Chapter 28: Cheat the Hangman=

The drums began again, signaling the executions to begin as soon as they stopped. As they played, Sonic's team was getting undoubtedly nervous. Sonic was frantically trying to figure out what to do next. Vector and Tails exchanged meaningful glances as they prepare to die. Amy turned her head away in dread. Finally, Sonic raced down the wall with a quick alternate plan. Then the drums stopped. Scourge gave a head nod to the executioner who in turn, kicked the stool off Tails' feet.

"NO!" Knuckles exclaimed.

"My boy!" Julie-Su cried. "Knuckles!"

The ruby echidna raced down the wall and shoved his way into the crowd as Tails dangled in the air. Sonic quickly knelt down and fired an arrow at the rope. But it only snagged it, and the blue blur had to run from an advancing guard who caught sight of him and came after him with a sword. Sonic jumped down from the wall and quickly licked the feathered part of his arrow as Knuckles continued to tear into the crowd. Tails was starting to lose air as Julie-Su became more frantic. Then Sonic took aim, and fired. The arrow tore through the air and made its mark. Tails fell to the ground as the rope was cut, gasping for air. A shocked crowd turned and saw Sonic in the square.

"Locksley..." Scourge growled through his teeth.

"_**SOOOONNNIIIIICC!**_" Amy screamed.

Shadow fired a flaming arrow at the area farther behind Sonic, igniting the black powder and causing a huge explosion. The shocked and frightened crowd began running away from the square. Julie-Su began to sigh with relief as did the others as things seemed to start looking up for them. Shadow fired another flaming arrow and ignited another barrel-full of black powder. The explosions made huge holes in the walls of the castle. Both Sonic and Shadow began fighting the other soldiers that tried to stop them.

"GET SOME TROOPS IN HERE!" Scourge barked.

A legion of soldiers ran towards the entrance of the square. Mighty quickly whipped out his sword and cut the ropes holding the gate up. As it came sliding down, the armadillo scrambled out of the way. Then Mighty started engaging into battle with that other guards. The executioner meekly turned to Scourge for orders.

"What are you waiting for?" Scourge shouted. "Get on with it!"

The executioner nodded and started kicked away the stools from the other prisoners' feet.

"NO!" Friar Rotor cried.

Tails scrambled to his feet and tried to lift Vector up from choking to death. Everyone else who was in the square was scrambling about, while Sonic and the others were fighting the guards. Then the executioner turned his attention on Manik. The leaf green hedgehog was still tied to the barrel. Sonic caught sight of the executioner taking an axe and aiming for Manik's neck. He quickly took a flaming arrow out from the body of a fallen guard and took aim. Just as the executioner was about to bring the axe down, Sonic fired and the arrow hit him right square between the eyes. Then, Knuckles ran towards the gallows and using his strength, he managed to knock down the entire scaffold. The prisoners gasped and coughed after getting much needed air. Knuckles ran over to Tails who was still helping Vector.

"Wulf!" the ruby echidna cried out.

"Father!" the kitsune replied.

They both hugged and Julie-Su expressed another sigh of relief while seeing them from afar.

"Oh thank God..." she rasped.

Mighty ran over to the scaffold to help Knuckles and Tails free their fellow outlaws from their bonds.

"Come on, you milksops!" the crimson guardian ranted. "Fight your way free!"

Meanwhile, Sonic freed Manik from the barrel and the two went off into battle. Shadow pulled out his sword as a guard came charging at him. The guard fled in a cowardly, demeanor after taking one look at the ebony hedgehog's sword.


	29. Storming the Castle

=Chapter 29: Storming the Castle=

After the prisoners were freed, everyone was fleeing the castle with Sonic directing them.

"This way, to the wall!" he called out.

Scourge could not believe this was happening. He had everything in the palm of him hands and now it was all slipping away.

"My Lord Sheriff, is _this_ your idea of control?" cried one of the barons accompanying him.

Amy kept a composed posture as Scourge furiously and annoyedly turned to the barons.

"Shut up, you twit!" he spat. Then the lime hedgehog grabbed Amy's wrist, making her gasp. "Come with me!"

"Soooonniicc!" the cherry-pink female cried.

The cerulean speedster's ear twitched and he caught sight of Amy being dragged away by Scourge.

"Amy..." he rasped. "Amy!"

As Shadow watched Sonic run towards the interior of the castle while the others flee the area, he decided to make himself known.

"Mercians!" he boomed. "Behold, Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform of the House of Doom! I am not one of you! But I fight! I fight with Sonic Hood! I fight against a tyrant who holds you under his boot! If you would be free men, then you must fight! Join us now! Join Sonic Hood!"

The crowd became rallied with a desire to be free from Scourge and eagerly joined the fray against the Sheriff and his men.

"Freedom!" they cried.

The mob stormed the square despite the soldiers' attempts to hold them back. They crowded around the sealing the inner sanctum of the castle with Sonic among them. Through the gate he saw Amy being yanked along by Scourge with her crying out to the blue blur for help. Sonic rushed back out to the square with an alternate plan. But he needed Knuckles help first.

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile, inside the castle, Scourge was dragging a struggling Amy through the halls, barking out orders.

"Close the gate!" he shouted. "Guard it with your life! Bring the Bishop to my chapel!"

XXXXXXX

Back outdoors, Sonic and the outlaws pushed a catapult towards the wall. Then the cerulean hedgehog hopped onto it with Shadow quickly joining him.

"Is she worth it?" the crimson-splashed male asked.

"Worth dying for?" Sonic replied with a grin.

Then he turned to Manik who was at the lever, and gave a head nod.

"Manik!" Sonic exclaimed.

With that, the pine green male pulled the lever and the catapult threw both Sonic and Shadow over the wall. They screamed while they were in the air until they landed on a thick pile of hay, disturbing a group of feeding chickens. Manik cracked a grin when he saw them go over.

"Fuck me, he cleared it. Heh." he quirked.

Quickly getting up, Sonic and Shadow rushed inside the castle. The blue blur picked up a blade from a dead guard whilst doing so. Meanwhile, the mob managed to lift the gate and gain access to the castle. Watching from a window above, was Mortianna. Her attention was averted when Scourge burst into the chapel with Amy. She gasped in horror when she saw the witch.

"We're doomed." Mortianna sneered to Scourge and the sakura hedgehog.

Scourge darted forward and cleared off the Satanic alter by roughly flinging the contents to the floor. Then two guards pulled the Bishop to the room.

"'Tis rebellion, my lord." he whimpered, falling to his knees. "We must escape!"

Instead of answering, Scourge scurried over to Amy and pulled her toward the altar. Then he forced her on her knees along with him.

"Marry us!" Scourge shouted at the priest.

"No!" Amy cried. I will _never_ marry you!"

She spat in the emerald male's face. Mortianna slapped her in retaliation but Scourge was not pleased.

"THAT'S MY WIFE CRONE!" he snapped.

Growling, the albino echidna forced her hand upon Amy's belly.

"Get away!" the cherry-pink female cried, trying to push the witch's hand off from her.

"Aha!" Mortianna exclaimed. "She's ripe. She will give us a son, you must take her now."

"I will not take her, until we are properly wed!" Scourge exclaimed. "For once in my life, I will have something pure, will stop interfering?"

The bumbling Bishop struggled to his feet, shaking with anxiety.

"'Tis madness to delay!" he whimpered.

Mortianna made another growl and swiped the priest's face with her talons, leaving bloody marks and causing him to cry out.

"Marry them, or face me!" the ancient female threatened.

She went over to the door and placed a block of wood on the metal holders to seal it from the inside. All the while Amy was struggling to get away from Scourge.

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Sonic and Shadow were tearing through the halls of the castle, fighting and killing guards in the process.

"AMY!" Sonic called out.

His attention was distracted when he saw the life-size statue of Scourge. Then he killed a guard that tried to attack him.

"AMY!" he called out again.

In the mist of battle, the blue blur spotted the scribe, trying to take cover from the attack. Sonic grabbed him and pinned the snake to the wall.

"Where is she?" Sonic growled. The Lady Amy?"

"Up the stairs." the scribe whimpered. "That way!"

Sonic and his ebony companion went right of the hall where things became quiet. Then, Sonic heard Amy's cries from afar.

"Amy?"

Both he and Shadow came to a door where the cries got louder.

"Amy!"

Inside the chapel, Scourge and Amy were standing before the Bishop. Mortianna was holding Amy in place when they all heard Sonic from the hall.

"Sonic!" Amy cried out desperately. "SONIC!"

"Get on with it!" Scourge snapped at the Bishop.

Sonic and Shadow pushed and banged on the door but they couldn't get in. They quickly looked around for something to bust it open. Then they exchanged glances after having a realization.

"The statue..." they both rasped.

The two of them rushed back down the hall to get Scourge's statue. In the chapel, the Bishop opened a bible and prepared to marry Amy to Scourge.

"Do you, Scourge, Sheriff of Snottingham," the priest began. "take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?"

Sonic and Shadow came back with the statue and started banging on the door to force it open.

"To have and to hold," the Bishop continued. "in sickness and health, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, till death-"

"Yes, yes!" Scourge ranted. "Come on!"

"Make haste!" Mortianna ordered.

"Do you, Amy, of the House of DuBois Rosa, take this man to be lawfully wedded husband..?

"NO-Mph!"

Scourge had grabbed Amy's muzzle with hand before she could finish.

"Yes, of course she does." he quipped.

Then the emerald male forced Amy onto the ground with Mortianna cackling. Meanwhile in the hall, the head of the statue had broken off, rendering it useless. Sonic and Shadow tossed it aside. Then the blue blur rushed to the door banging on it after hearing Amy's cries again.

"Amy!" he yelled

"Damned Mercian Oak." Shadow growled.

"I'll try another way..."

With that, Sonic sped off taking a sword with him while Shadow continued to try and break open the door with the statue's head.


	30. The Final Duel

=Chapter 30: The Final Duel=

In the chapel, Amy was on the floor, struggling to get away with Scourge on top of her, and while the Bishop continued preaching the _wedding ceremony_ while reading from the Bible. Mortianna came hurrying over to the lime hedgehog and patted him repeatedly on the shoulder.

"What do _you_ want?" Scourge hissed in an annoyed tone.

The ancient echidna held out a small scarlet cushion of which Scourge grabbed, and thrusted it underneath Amy's head. He continued to attempt undressing the fighting cherry-pink female beneath him with Mortianna looming over them in devilish glee until Scourge got extremely frustrated with the loud noises of Shadow trying to break in.

"I CAN'T DO THIS WITH ALL THAT RACKET!" he roared.

With a huff, Mortianna hurried off on her heals to try and something about the chapel's invader. The Bishop completed chanting the near final passage if the wedding proclamation to which Amy glared up at him in anger and disbelief.

"_How could you?_" she cried as she struggled in Scourge's hold. "_How could you?_"

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile outside, Sonic raced across the roof of the castle and looked bellow to find an entry point to the chapel. After locating one, he quickly pulled up one of the castle's hanging banners. Inside the hall, Shadow continued banging at the door with the statue head when his ears suddenly twitched to a shrill shriek. It was Mortianna coming at him with a battle spear. Before Shadow had time to react, the albino female stabbed him in the thigh, causing him to grunt out in pain and stagger backwards. When the pair met each other's eyes, they both drew back in shock.

"The painted hedgehog!" Mortianna cried in horror.

"The witch..." Shadow rasped as he clutched the weapon lodged in his leg.

Mortianna, beside herself with fear, trembled to her knees.

"I didn't know." she whimpered. "I didn't know it was you. Please, sir, have pity. Don't harm an old woman."

Then, with a growl, the ancient echidna pulled the spear roughly out of Shadow and tried to strike him again with it. But the ebony hedgehog grabbed a hold of it and managed to throw her across the hall and making her smack against the walls. In blind fury, Mortianna came at him again with her shrill voice screaming. But Shadow held out the spear and only had the withered female run into and impaled herself with it. Shaking like a leaf and mouthing a silent groan, she wandered off, finally uttering a pained cry. Shadow stared after her with a disgusted mixed with a creeped out expression on his face.

XXXXXXX

Back in the chapel, Scourge still had a struggling Amy underneath him. At this point, Scourge was in his black outer tunic and pants and Amy was stripped down to her outer gown.

"You may take this body," the sakura hedgehog rasped while flailing her wrists against Scourge's grip. "but it will not be me. _It will not be me!_"

Then the banging from the hall against the door began again, making Scourge increasingly infuriated.

"Not again..." he hissed.

He darted his head up at the Bishop, who hadn't said a word during this time.

"I...now pronounce you man and wife." the priest nervously said. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

Amy gave a whine as she fought to keep Scourge from forcibly spreading her legs, but ultimately failed. Suddenly, Sonic came crashing through one of the stained glass windows, using a banner as rope. Scourge shot his head up while the Bishop dropped the Bible to the floor in shock as the cerulean hedgehog slid across the floor. Amy felt relief instantly pour over her.

"Sonic.." she gasped with a smile.

Scourge gave a very irritated look and rolled his eyes as the Bishop took the opportunity to leave.

"Do you mind, Locksley?" the emerald male growled. "We've just been married."

Sonic got to his feet and drew the sword he took from the dead guard. Then Scourge lifted himself off the floor, yanking Amy up with him. The verde hedgehog grabbed a weapon of his own, throwing off the sheath.

"Recognize this?" he spat. "It belonged to your father. Appropriate, don't you think, that I now use it to send you to meet him?"

Sonic remained in a calm and cool demeanor.

"I shall never fear my father's sword." he murmured.

"Really?"

Scourge quickly swiped the large blade up, causing it to slit Sonic's chin a little and making Amy cry out in surprise and fear for Sonic's safety.

"Now we're even." Scourge sneered, motioning to his scarred muzzle.

In an instant, the two male hedgehogs began crossing swords. Scourge made wide swings at his blue counterpart, slashing apart or creating sparks wherever the blade touched while Sonic ducked and backed off. Amy nervously watched nearby and screamed her hero's name whenever he tripped to the floor. When the two bucks got somewhat near her, the cherry-pink female shoved a table at Scourge, making him trip and fall to the floor. Sonic swung his blade at the lime hedgehog but only managed to cut away a few bits of his fur. Scourge scrambled to his feet and backed away from Sonic, making Amy back into a large window sill. The blue blur picked up the bits of fur with his sword and presented them to their owner, prompting him to grab one of his quills.

"If I must, I will take you a piece at a time." Sonic said.

Amy attempted to grab Scourge to distract him, but the emerald male spun around and grabbed her, pulling her into a forceful kiss.

"NO-MMPH!" the sakura hedgehog cried before being silence by the embrace.

Sonic darted forward, but Scourge quickly pulled away from Amy and pointed his weapon at him.

"I'll do the only taking today!" Scourge ranted.

In a quick move, Amy grabbed a lit candle from a light fixture hanging nearby, and shoved it into Scourge's chest, making him yell out in pain. Then Sonic lunged forward but jumped back when Scourge waved the huge blade in his hands at him. The verde hedgehog came at Sonic in full speed and fierce striking motions, causing Amy to scream out in fear.

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile, in another area of the castle, the Bishop was frantically gathering all his gold and other treasure as Friar Rotor came casually into the room.

"So.." the walrus monk called out in a matter-of-fact tone and gaining the Bishop's attention. "you sold your soul to Satan, your grace."

The Bishop shook his head nervously as Friar Rotor's attitude quickly turned to rage.

"You accused innocent men of witchcraft, and let them die." the monk growled.

The Bishop nervously backed away.

"Brother Friar," he rasped. "you would not strike a fellow man of the cloth."

"No. No, I wouldn't." Friar Rotor said with a sudden smile and a chuckle. "In fact, I'll help you pack for your journey."

The monk started piling sacks of gold into the Bishop's arms, making him frown in further apprehension.

"You're going to need lots of gold," Friar Rotor continued. "to help you on your way. You're a very rich man, huh? This too, huh? Enough?"

At that point, the Bishop's arms were full of sacks of gold. The walrus approached him with a smaller and final sack.

"Here's 30 pieces of silver." Friar Rotor told him with anger mounting once more in his voice. "To pay the devil..ON YOUR WAY TO _HELL!_"

Then the monk shoved the Bishop crashing out the window, making the high priest fall to his death. Frair Rotor looked down at his body with look of total disgust, as a few peasants came swarming around to gather as much gold as they could get their hands on.

XXXXXXX

Back in the chapel, the sword duel between Sonic and Scourge get intensely heated. At one point, the cerulean speedster lost his sword, and quickly sped around to retrieve it while Scourge came at him, and Amy crying out for him. The blue blur managed to get back his weapon and made his lime-clad rival lose his own. The two ran around the chapel with Sonic chasing Scourge and Scourge throwing large debris at Sonic. Amy kept covering her eyes each time something was thrown. Then the verde hedgehog quickly slid on the floor and grabbed his weapon just as Sonic was about to strike him while letting out a sneering laugh at the cerulean male. The two continued fiercely duking it out with each other, until Scourge managed to snap Sonic's blade in two. Sonic stumbled over and landed on a window sill as Amy let out a terrified scream. Then the blue blur tried to throw the sword handle at Scourge, to which he easily dodged. The emerald hedgehog seized his now unarmed rival and held him there at sword point, ready to run him through.

"Sonic..." Amy whimpered.

"Get ready.." Scourge cruelly sneered at her.

The lime-clad male raised the sword, ready to kill Sonic as Amy rushed forward screaming and to try and stop him. But in the blink of an eye, Sonic slid a dagger from his boot, and drove into Scourge's heart. Scourge let out a pained groan and gave a deep look of hate and disbelief at him. He staggered backwards, facing Amy and slowly approached her, causing Amy to nervously back away. Then Scourge slowly pulled the dagger out from his chest, revealing it to be the very one he had bestowed upon the cherry-pink female. The emerald hedgehog held it out to her before his shaking hands caused it to topple to the floor. Then he wandered off towards a window, trying to get a gulp of breath before finally dying. Sonic, slowly getting up from his place and picking up the sword that Scourge had dropped, let out one big sigh. Then he held up his father's sword and leaned his forehead affectionately against it. The blue blur turned around and saw Amy standing there across the room with a highly anxious look on her face. Sonic dropped the large sword as if it were a useless tool and approached the sakura hedgehog. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Mortianna-with blood coming out of her mouth and onto her chin-came at Sonic with her spear, shrieking. Before Sonic could react, Shadow finally bust down the door, and threw his Ddraig Goch sword at the witch, impaling her again and finally killing her. Blinking in surprise, Sonic turned and glanced at the crimson-splashed male who gave a simple head nod.

"I have fulfilled my vow, Sonic." Shadow quietly said.

With that, he left the doorway, limping from his wound. Sonic's ears twitched to a sobbing sound behind him. It was Amy, both whimpering and giggling at the same time with tears streaming down her face. She smiled giddlely from ear to ear as she and Sonic rushed towards each other. They both held one another in an outburst of profound love.

"Y-you came for me." Amy whimpered. "You're alive..."

"I would die for you." Sonic rasped.

And with that, the pair feverishly and passionately embraced each other.


	31. A Royal Guest

=Chapter 31: A Royal Guest=

Days after the outlaws stormed and invaded Castle Snottingham and Scourge defeated, they all gathered in Deerwood Forest. A large area of the forest was up so that it looked like a church cathedral. Sticks, branches, and tree logs were made and tied together to form a crucifix, pillars, and a makeshift stained glass window and alter. Everyone, all the outlaws and villagers who took part in the battle, were dressed up in their finest and bearing witness to the marriage between Sonic and Amy. Among them were Shadow, Manik, Knuckles, Julie-Su, Tails, Mighty, Ray, Vector, and the rest of the merry men gang. The weather was absolutely beautiful. Leaves fell from the trees surrounding them like rose petals. Now, Friar Rotor was about to complete the ceremony.

"By the power vested in me," the walrus declared. "by God's holy church, I say any man who has reason why these two should not be joined, let him speak now or forever hold his peace."

The whole crowd was silent, save for a few giggles and chuckles.

"Then, I now pronounce you-"

"Hold." boomed a voice. "I speak."

Surprised, everyone turned around and emitted light gasps and whispers. There was a small group of royal knights on horseback slowly trotting through the earthen aisle. Amy immediately recognized their leader.

"Rob'O!" she cried out in delight.

It was indeed King Rob'O the Hedge, who had finally returned to Mercia. As he dismounted from his horse, everyone except for Amy and Shadow bowed on their knees before him.

"I will not allow this wedding to proceed." the king declared.

Sonic bolted right up.

"My lord..." he protested.

"UNLESS!" King Rob'O exclaimed while pointing at the blue blur. "...I'm allowed to give the bride away."

Then the light pine green hedgehog turned to Amy with a happy smile.

"You look radiant, cousin." he said gently.

"Oh...Rob'O." Amy rasped gleefully while giving a few butterfly pecks to his muzzle.

"We are deeply honored, your majesty." Sonic said with a grin.

"It is _I_ who am honored, Lord Locksley." King Rob'O insisted while shaking the cerulean speedster's hand. "Thanks to you, I still have a throne." Then the king turned to the monk who was still bowing on his knees. "Friar, proceed."

Friar Rotor nodded and stood back up as did everyone else, while the royal hedgehog stepped back.

"Husband and wife." Friar Rotor chuckled. "You may kiss the bride."

"I know that." Sonic quipped with a wink.

Then he and Amy passionately embraced to which King Rob'O raised his hands.

"Hurrah!" everyone shouted.

The outlaws and villagers cheered, clapped, and celebrated. Manik and Shadow even exchanged a bro hug. White doves were released into the skies, taking wing, as Sonic and Amy continued to lovingly embrace.

-Friar Rotor's POV-

Come on, get out of it. We waste good celebration time. Heh-heh-heh-heh!

=THE END=

_(Everything I do)I do it for you.  
>By Bryan Adams.<em>

_Look into my eyes, you will_  
><em>see. What you mean to me.<em>  
><em>Search your heart. Search your<em>  
><em>soul. And when you find me there,<em>  
><em>you'll search no more.<em>

_Don't tell me, it's not worth_  
><em>trying for. You can't tell me, it's<em>  
><em>not worth dying for.<em>

_You know it's true, Everything I do,_  
><em>I do it for you.<em>

_Look into your heart. You will find,_  
><em>there's nothing there to hide. Take me<em>  
><em>as I am. Take my life. I would give it<em>  
><em>up, I would sacrifice.<em>

_Don't tell me, it's not worth fighting_  
><em>for. I can't help it, there's nothin'<em>  
><em>I want more.<em>

_You know it's true. Everything I do,_  
><em>I do it for you.<em>

_Oh yeah._

_There's no love, like your love. And no_  
><em>other, could give more love. There's<em>  
><em>nowhere, unless you're there. All the<em>  
><em>time, all the way, yeah.<em>

_-solo-_

_Oh, you can't tell me, it's not worth_  
><em>tryin' for. I can't help it, there's<em>  
><em>nothin' I want more.<em>

_Yeah, I would fight for you. I'd lie_  
><em>for you, walk the wire for you. Yeah,<em>  
><em>I'd die for you.<em>

_You know it's true. Everything I do._  
><em>Ohhhhh. I do it for you.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>**I couldn't leave this fic without putting in the song that comes after the movie lol. Anyway, this is the end of this fic, thanks for all the comments and faves. Stay tuned for more updates on _Darkest Desire-Fear 2_ and _Animaniacs: Nocturnus_. Peace out!**


End file.
